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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rule — a law
  3. net — for catching
  4. pop — to visit
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — steady
  7. track — a song
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pop — music
  13. track — to keep track
  14. object — an aim
  15. stand — to bear
  16. net — after costs
  17. object — to protest
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. pop — soda
  20. net — in sport
  21. track — a path
  22. firm — decided
  23. object — a thing
  24. tear — to rip

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