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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. firm — a company
  3. cap — a lid
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. fork — in a road
  6. present — a gift
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bat — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. dip — to sink
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — steady
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. present — there
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. stand — to bear

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