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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 116 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — steady
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. firm — a company
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. club — for dancing
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. chip — for betting
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pitch — completely
  20. wake — a trail
  21. club — for golf
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. club — a group
  24. chip — to eat

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