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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cap — of ice
  3. club — a group
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. court — of law
  6. firm — a company
  7. club — for dancing
  8. last — finally
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. mine — for digging
  11. wind — moving air
  12. court — for sport
  13. firm — decided
  14. court — of a king
  15. cap — a hat
  16. firm — steady
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. club — for golf
  19. last — final
  20. cap — a lid
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. last — to go on
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. wind — moving air

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