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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. track — a path
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — for digging
  5. snap — to click
  6. tube — a container
  7. pop — music
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bat — the animal
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. pop — soda
  16. firm — steady
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. track — a song
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. tube — the underground
  22. firm — a company
  23. pop — to visit
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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