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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. spring — the season
  3. object — to protest
  4. firm — steady
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. cue — a signal
  7. firm — a company
  8. spring — a coil
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. mark — a grade
  12. wound — an injury
  13. object — an aim
  14. mark — a trace
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — for pool
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a dance
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wound — an injury
  21. firm — decided
  22. spring — of water
  23. object — a thing
  24. ball — a round shape

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