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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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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: band · deal · club · content · rule · wake · firm · stand

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. club — for dancing
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. content — the amount
  5. club — a group
  6. stand — to bear
  7. rule — a law
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. deal — to handle
  10. content — happy
  11. club — for golf
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. band — a ring
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. band — a music group
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. firm — a company
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. firm — steady
  24. wake — a trail

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