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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 116 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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. charge — a price
  5. bear — the animal
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bound — obliged
  8. firm — steady
  9. bound — tied together
  10. game — wild animals
  11. season — in sport
  12. bound — certain
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bear — the animal
  15. game — a match
  16. firm — a company
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. season — of the year
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. shower — rain
  22. stand — to bear
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — electricity

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