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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 116 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: stand · tube · board · firm · content · file · mark · kid

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. kid — to tease
  2. content — happy
  3. firm — a company
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. kid — child
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. mark — a grade
  8. stand — to bear
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. file — a tool
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. board — a committee
  14. content — the amount
  15. mark — a trace
  16. tube — the underground
  17. firm — steady
  18. tube — a container
  19. file — a document
  20. board — to get on
  21. file — a line of people
  22. firm — decided
  23. stand — on your feet
  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