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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. key — for a lock
  5. swing — in golf
  6. firm — a company
  7. mark — a trace
  8. pit — in a race
  9. swing — music
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. prune — to trim
  13. firm — steady
  14. field — a subject
  15. key — the most important part
  16. march — the month
  17. swing — to play on
  18. march — the month
  19. prune — to trim
  20. march — music
  21. field — for sport
  22. key — in music
  23. field — farmland
  24. pit — a hole

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