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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. firm — steady
  3. land — ground
  4. scale — size or range
  5. fork — in a road
  6. firm — decided
  7. mate — to breed
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. vault — a safe
  11. mate — a friend
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. land — a country
  14. land — to come down
  15. firm — a company
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bound — obliged
  18. mate — a partner
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. scale — in music
  22. bound — tied together
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bound — certain

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