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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: roll · bay · scale · mate · wound · stand · firm · cold

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  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 — on your feet
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. wound — an injury
  5. roll — a list
  6. firm — a company
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cold — not warm
  9. firm — decided
  10. cold — an illness
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — size or range
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. mate — to breed
  22. scale — in music
  23. roll — a cake
  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