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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. firm — decided
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. court — for sport
  5. mark — a trace
  6. firm — steady
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. firm — a company
  9. rock — a stone
  10. mark — a grade
  11. press — to push
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. object — to protest
  14. court — of a king
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. rock — music
  19. snap — to click
  20. object — a thing
  21. court — of law
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — with an edge

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