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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. squash — the sport
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. hand — help
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. stand — to bear
  15. firm — a company
  16. squash — to crush
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. firm — steady
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. craft — a skill
  24. hand — in cards

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com