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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: stand · wound · mark · jam · bay · firm · chest · game

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. firm — a company
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. mark — a trace
  6. chest — a box
  7. firm — steady
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. game — a match
  10. game — wild animals
  11. chest — of your body
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. wound — an injury
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. chest — of your body
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. firm — decided
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. mark — a grade
  24. stand — on your feet

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