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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. saw — the tool
  3. firm — a company
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. roll — a cake
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. firm — steady
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pitch — completely
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. saw — the tool
  16. roll — a list
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. trunk — of a car

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