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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 124 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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. firm — a company
  4. fork — in a road
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. track — a path
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. track — a song
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rule — a law
  14. fall — to drop
  15. track — to keep track
  16. rest — a break
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. perch — the fish
  20. fall — the season
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fall — to drop
  23. firm — decided
  24. rest — what's left

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