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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bear · game · firm · file · vault · season · mate

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. mate — a friend
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a match
  6. stand — to bear
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bear — the animal
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a tool
  13. firm — decided
  14. season — of the year
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. vault — a safe
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bear — the animal
  19. season — in sport
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. file — a line of people
  22. firm — steady
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. firm — a company

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