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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — steady
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. charge — in control
  7. firm — decided
  8. bulb — for light
  9. saw — the tool
  10. race — the arms race
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. charge — electricity
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — humankind
  17. mine — for digging
  18. stand — to bear
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. charge — a price
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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