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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bass — low music
  3. mine — for digging
  4. tear — from crying
  5. firm — steady
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. tear — to rip
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bass — the fish
  12. tear — from crying
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — a list
  15. suit — to fit
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. suit — in cards
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. suit — clothes
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. firm — decided
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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