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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. court — of law
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. tube — the underground
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. court — of a king
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. band — a ring
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — a company
  17. court — for sport
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. band — a music group
  21. tube — a container
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — a division

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