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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 120 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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. net — for catching
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. firm — decided
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. firm — a company
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. key — in music
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. fork — in a road
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. net — after costs
  16. key — for a lock
  17. rash — a series
  18. key — the most important part
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. shower — to wash
  22. firm — steady
  23. net — in sport
  24. shower — rain

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