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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. rest — a break
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. firm — decided
  5. content — happy
  6. firm — steady
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. season — in sport
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rest — what's left
  12. season — of the year
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. land — a country
  15. pit — in a race
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. land — to come down
  19. content — the amount
  20. land — ground
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. pit — a hole

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