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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: stand · firm · cue · rest · kid · clip · root · mine

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. root — the cause
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. cue — a signal
  5. clip — a video
  6. root — of a word
  7. clip — for paper
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. rest — what's left
  12. kid — to tease
  13. stand — to bear
  14. mine — for digging
  15. kid — child
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — decided
  19. cue — for pool
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. cue — a hint
  22. root — of a plant
  23. clip — to cut
  24. firm — a company

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