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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 · calf · tear · pitcher · march · firm · snap · track

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. track — a song
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. tear — from crying
  6. firm — a company
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. tear — to rip
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stand — to bear
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. march — the month
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. march — music
  18. track — a path
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. firm — decided
  21. track — to keep track
  22. march — the month
  23. snap — to click
  24. tear — from crying

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