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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. last — final
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. firm — decided
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. date — the fruit
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. chair — a leader
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. last — to go on
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. firm — steady
  17. last — finally
  18. kick — in football
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — to drill
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. firm — a company

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