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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. rush — hurry
  3. swing — to play on
  4. firm — a company
  5. present — the time now
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. race — a contest
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. present — a gift
  12. firm — steady
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. race — the arms race
  15. swing — music
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. race — humankind
  18. swing — in golf
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. present — there
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. toast — bread
  24. coach — a trainer

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