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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. firm — decided
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bank — for money
  7. key — the most important part
  8. court — of law
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. key — in music
  11. pound — a weight
  12. key — for a lock
  13. toast — bread
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bank — for money
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. court — of a king
  20. kid — to tease
  21. court — for sport
  22. bank — of a river
  23. firm — a company
  24. cabinet — ministers

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