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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. object — an aim
  3. scale — in music
  4. object — to protest
  5. scale — size or range
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. object — a thing
  8. fine — all right
  9. firm — decided
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. spring — the season
  13. firm — steady
  14. spring — of water
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cue — a signal
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. cue — for pool
  20. spring — a coil
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. cell — in biology
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fork — to eat with

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