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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: cue · mate · dip · firm · foot · land · stand · saw

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. dip — to sink
  3. mate — a friend
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. land — ground
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. land — to come down
  9. mate — to breed
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mate — a partner
  12. firm — a company
  13. foot — a measure
  14. saw — the tool
  15. firm — decided
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. land — a country
  21. cue — a signal
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. firm — steady

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