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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: stand · cue · firm · mate · game · present · bark · shower

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  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 — a company
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — to bear
  6. cue — for pool
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — a match
  9. cue — a signal
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. present — there
  13. present — the time now
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bark — to shout
  16. firm — decided
  17. mate — to breed
  18. cue — a hint
  19. shower — rain
  20. mate — a friend
  21. firm — steady
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. present — a gift
  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