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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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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. firm — steady
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — a company
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. rush — hurry
  9. fall — the season
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — all right
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. pit — in a race
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. row — to paddle
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. pit — a hole
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. row — a line
  24. game — a match

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