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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: ball · charge · stand · firm · pitcher · cue · foot · key

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — decided
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. stand — to bear
  5. ball — a great time
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — a measure
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. firm — a company
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. key — in music
  13. key — for a lock
  14. charge — in control
  15. cue — a signal
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — a price
  18. ball — a dance
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. key — the most important part

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