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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 · can · fan · kid · rest · calf · scale · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  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. can — a tin
  3. stand — to bear
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — to tease
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. kid — child
  11. can — to be able to
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. firm — decided
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. firm — steady
  16. rest — what's left
  17. can — a tin
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. scale — size or range
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. scale — in music
  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