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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. rock — music
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. present — there
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. cap — a lid
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. rock — a stone
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. firm — steady
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. firm — a company
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. chair — a leader
  17. present — the time now
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. cap — a hat
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. present — a gift
  24. cap — of ice

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