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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: march · stand · toast · fork · firm · mug · sharp · deal

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. firm — a company
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. mug — a cup
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. mug — a face
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. stand — to bear
  9. sharp — clever
  10. march — music
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. toast — bread
  13. firm — steady
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. firm — decided
  18. fork — in a road
  19. march — the month
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. march — the month
  22. deal — to handle
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. stand — for spectators

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