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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. swing — music
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. key — for a lock
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. firm — a company
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bear — the animal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. chest — of your body
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — in golf
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bear — the animal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. chest — a box
  18. key — in music
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. content — happy
  22. firm — steady
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — the amount

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