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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. object — an aim
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — to protest
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. mug — a face
  8. last — final
  9. swing — to play on
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. last — finally
  14. game — a match
  15. firm — steady
  16. mug — to rob
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — music
  20. last — to go on
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. firm — decided
  23. mug — a cup
  24. game — wild animals

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