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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. track — to keep track
  3. suit — in cards
  4. pitch — completely
  5. file — a line of people
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. suit — to fit
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. suit — clothes
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. kid — to tease
  13. track — a song
  14. file — a document
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. firm — a company
  17. race — the arms race
  18. track — a path
  19. race — a contest
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. race — humankind
  22. file — a tool
  23. kid — child
  24. firm — decided

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