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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: cold · stand · calf · firm · fine · mine · pit · ruler

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. mine — for digging
  3. fine — high quality
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. cold — an illness
  12. firm — decided
  13. pit — in a race
  14. fine — all right
  15. pit — a hole
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cold — not warm
  20. stand — to bear
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. firm — a company
  24. cold — the Cold War

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