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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. object — an aim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. firm — steady
  6. kid — child
  7. bass — the fish
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. object — a thing
  10. kid — to tease
  11. swing — in golf
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — clever
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. swing — to play on
  18. firm — a company
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. object — to protest
  23. swing — music
  24. bass — low 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