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

Word bank: drill · wound · stand · content · mark · club · row · firm

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. stand — to bear
  3. mark — a trace
  4. club — for dancing
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. mark — a grade
  7. drill — a practice
  8. wound — an injury
  9. firm — decided
  10. drill — the tool
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. club — for golf
  13. wound — an injury
  14. firm — steady
  15. content — the amount
  16. row — to paddle
  17. club — a group
  18. firm — a company
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. content — happy
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. row — a line
  24. mark — to pay attention

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