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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. firm — decided
  4. board — to get on
  5. stand — to bear
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. court — of a king
  10. present — there
  11. board — a committee
  12. present — a gift
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. court — for sport
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. clip — to cut
  18. firm — a company
  19. clip — for paper
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. clip — a video
  22. court — of law
  23. rush — hurry
  24. firm — steady

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