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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: land · mark · stand · wind · present · firm · track · net

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  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. mark — a trace
  2. net — in sport
  3. land — ground
  4. wind — moving air
  5. stand — to bear
  6. track — a path
  7. present — there
  8. land — a country
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. land — to come down
  12. track — a song
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — a company
  16. net — after costs
  17. track — to keep track
  18. mark — a grade
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — the time now
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. net — for catching
  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