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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · capital · rest · object · firm · wax · stock · row

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  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. firm — steady
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — to grow
  5. firm — decided
  6. capital — money
  7. capital — a city
  8. row — a line
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. object — a thing
  13. stock — goods
  14. row — to paddle
  15. firm — a company
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. rest — a break
  19. object — to protest
  20. stock — shares
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. object — an aim
  23. rest — what's left
  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