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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. cue — for pool
  3. firm — a company
  4. cap — of ice
  5. scale — in music
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. firm — steady
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. wind — moving air
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. pit — in a race
  13. scale — size or range
  14. squash — to crush
  15. cue — a hint
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cue — a signal
  21. squash — the sport
  22. cap — a lid
  23. pit — a hole
  24. firm — decided

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