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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. firm — steady
  5. snap — to click
  6. pop — to visit
  7. ball — a dance
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — music
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — shares
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. firm — a company
  19. ball — a great time
  20. pass — a permit
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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