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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: firm · stand · date · can · arm · pop · spell · snap

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. firm — decided
  3. pop — music
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. can — a tin
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. spell — a short time
  9. can — a tin
  10. firm — steady
  11. pop — soda
  12. can — to be able to
  13. date — the fruit
  14. spell — letters
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. spell — magic
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pop — to visit
  22. snap — to click
  23. stand — to bear
  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