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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. can — a tin
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. spring — of water
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. rest — a break
  16. firm — a company
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — the season
  21. firm — decided
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. fork — in a road

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