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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. firm — steady
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. wind — moving air
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — a company
  8. pop — music
  9. squash — to crush
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. pit — a hole
  12. object — to protest
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. object — an aim
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mark — a grade
  17. pit — in a race
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pop — soda
  23. squash — the sport
  24. object — a thing

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