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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. hand — in cards
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. firm — a company
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. firm — decided
  7. march — the month
  8. hand — help
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. march — the month
  17. sharp — clever
  18. scale — size or range
  19. pass — a permit
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. scale — in music
  22. march — music
  23. tube — a container
  24. sharp — with an edge

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