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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. march — music
  3. present — a gift
  4. firm — steady
  5. present — the time now
  6. row — a line
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. march — the month
  10. hand — in cards
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. foot — a measure
  13. pitch — completely
  14. hand — help
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. march — the month
  20. row — to paddle
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. present — there
  23. firm — a company
  24. hand — part of the body

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