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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 120 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. present — there
  4. land — to come down
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. cap — of ice
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. cap — a lid
  9. present — the time now
  10. shower — rain
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — steady
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rush — hurry
  16. cap — a hat
  17. land — a country
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. shower — to wash
  20. present — a gift
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. land — ground
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — to eat with

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