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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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. stem — to come from
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. content — the amount
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. firm — steady
  10. last — to go on
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. content — happy
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. game — a match
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. board — a committee
  19. last — final
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. board — to get on
  22. last — finally
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. game — wild animals

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