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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. mate — a partner
  3. firm — steady
  4. bound — certain
  5. prune — to trim
  6. mate — a friend
  7. deal — to handle
  8. firm — decided
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. net — for catching
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bound — tied together
  16. mate — to breed
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cue — for pool
  19. net — after costs
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bound — obliged
  23. net — in sport
  24. cue — a signal

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