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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. last — finally
  3. bank — for money
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pop — music
  6. court — of a king
  7. firm — decided
  8. pop — soda
  9. bank — of a river
  10. last — final
  11. cue — a hint
  12. court — for sport
  13. bank — for money
  14. stand — to bear
  15. pop — to visit
  16. court — of law
  17. firm — a company
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. firm — steady
  20. cue — a signal
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. cue — for pool
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. last — to go on

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