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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 120 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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. cap — of ice
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. cap — a lid
  5. scale — size or range
  6. pop — to visit
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — tied together
  13. firm — a company
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — soda
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. firm — steady
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bound — certain
  23. prune — to trim
  24. scale — in music

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