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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — decided
  4. track — a song
  5. pit — a hole
  6. land — ground
  7. fine — high quality
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. land — a country
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. pit — in a race
  13. track — a path
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. firm — a company
  17. fine — all right
  18. land — to come down
  19. wind — moving air
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wind — moving air
  24. track — to keep track

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