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

Word bank: mug · firm · cue · stand · kick · date · bear · fork

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. firm — a company
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mug — a face
  7. cue — a signal
  8. firm — steady
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. kick — in football
  13. fork — in a road
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bear — the animal
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. firm — decided
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stand — to bear
  21. cue — for pool
  22. date — the fruit
  23. mug — to rob
  24. stand — on your feet

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