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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. wind — moving air
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. firm — steady
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. fork — in a road
  9. season — of the year
  10. board — to get on
  11. vault — a safe
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. season — in sport
  14. degree — temperature
  15. wind — moving air
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. tube — the underground
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. board — a committee
  20. degree — from a university
  21. degree — an amount
  22. firm — a company
  23. tube — a container
  24. fork — to eat with

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