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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. key — in music
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. pop — soda
  5. rock — a stone
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. fork — in a road
  8. pop — to visit
  9. season — in sport
  10. rock — music
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bat — the animal
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. firm — decided
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. season — of the year
  17. key — the most important part
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. pop — music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. firm — a company
  24. bat — for baseball

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