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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — a company
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. net — after costs
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. row — to paddle
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. net — for catching
  15. pitch — completely
  16. content — the amount
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. net — in sport
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. row — a line
  23. content — happy
  24. firm — steady

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