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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. race — the arms race
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. field — for sport
  5. race — humankind
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. present — the time now
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — to bear
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — a company
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. present — there
  15. shower — to wash
  16. field — a subject
  17. present — a gift
  18. firm — decided
  19. shower — rain
  20. field — farmland
  21. chair — a leader
  22. race — a contest
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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