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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 116 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: track · stand · pit · chair · wound · file · firm · bear

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. wound — an injury
  3. firm — decided
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bear — the animal
  6. file — a line of people
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bear — the animal
  9. file — a document
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. stand — to bear
  13. track — a path
  14. file — a tool
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. firm — steady
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pit — a hole
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. pit — in a race
  23. track — a song
  24. track — to keep track

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