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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. fine — all right
  3. firm — decided
  4. mate — to breed
  5. pop — music
  6. bound — certain
  7. pop — to visit
  8. firm — steady
  9. bound — obliged
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. firm — a company
  13. fine — high quality
  14. current — happening now
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. current — electric
  17. lean — thin
  18. pop — soda
  19. mate — a friend
  20. lean — to bend
  21. current — of water
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bound — tied together
  24. fine — a penalty

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