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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: branch · rock · press · ground · firm · date · stand · mug

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. mug — a cup
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — to bear
  5. ground — the earth
  6. firm — decided
  7. mug — a face
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. ground — a position
  12. press — newspapers
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. mug — to rob
  16. ground — crushed
  17. branch — a division
  18. date — the fruit
  19. rock — a stone
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — to push
  23. firm — a company
  24. rock — music

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