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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. cue — a hint
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. drill — the tool
  5. cue — a signal
  6. firm — steady
  7. season — of the year
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. board — a committee
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. object — a thing
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. drill — army training
  14. firm — a company
  15. drill — a practice
  16. object — to protest
  17. board — to get on
  18. sharp — clever
  19. object — an aim
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. season — in sport

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