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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: coach · row · firm · stand · tear · jam · racket · fan

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — from crying
  8. firm — steady
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. firm — decided
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — a line
  16. row — to paddle
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. firm — a company
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fan — a supporter

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