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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pit — a hole
  4. land — a country
  5. bank — of a river
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the sport
  8. firm — steady
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bank — for money
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bank — for money
  18. firm — decided
  19. band — a ring
  20. land — to come down
  21. band — a music group
  22. land — ground
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. band — a rubber band

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