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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 124 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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. cue — for pool
  3. spring — of water
  4. swing — in golf
  5. drill — the tool
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. firm — a company
  8. deal — to handle
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. drill — army training
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. spring — a coil
  16. swing — to play on
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. net — for catching
  19. cue — a signal
  20. firm — decided
  21. spring — the season
  22. cue — a hint
  23. drill — a practice
  24. swing — music

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