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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. club — a group
  5. pop — music
  6. club — for golf
  7. spring — the season
  8. stand — to bear
  9. vault — a safe
  10. pop — to visit
  11. firm — a company
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. spring — a coil
  14. firm — steady
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. club — for dancing
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. pop — soda
  24. spring — of water

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