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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. firm — decided
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — army training
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — a price
  10. sharp — clever
  11. pitch — completely
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. firm — a company
  17. object — to protest
  18. charge — in control
  19. drill — a practice
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. object — a thing
  22. prune — to trim
  23. object — an aim
  24. fan — to cool the air

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