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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. firm — decided
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. present — there
  6. degree — an amount
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — to handle
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. degree — from a university
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. capital — a city
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. degree — temperature
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. present — the time now
  21. capital — money
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. firm — a company
  24. present — a gift

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