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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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. race — humankind
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. court — for sport
  6. firm — steady
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rash — a series
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. rash — hasty
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. race — the arms race
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. lie — to recline
  19. chair — a leader
  20. race — a contest
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. court — of law
  24. court — of a king

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