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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bound — obliged
  5. pit — a hole
  6. swing — music
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. content — the amount
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pop — music
  13. wind — moving air
  14. content — happy
  15. pop — soda
  16. bound — tied together
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bound — certain
  19. firm — a company
  20. wind — moving air
  21. swing — to play on
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pit — in a race
  24. firm — steady

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