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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. face — to confront
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. ground — a position
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. prune — to trim
  8. suit — in cards
  9. firm — a company
  10. club — for dancing
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. club — a group
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. club — for golf
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to point toward
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. suit — to fit
  22. firm — steady
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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