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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. firm — decided
  3. chest — a box
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bass — the fish
  9. firm — steady
  10. rock — music
  11. season — of the year
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mine — for digging
  15. firm — a company
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. season — in sport
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. squash — the sport

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