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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. spring — of water
  3. firm — steady
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — a group
  6. sharp — clever
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — a trail
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — in cards
  15. spring — a coil
  16. drill — army training
  17. spring — the season
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. drill — the tool
  20. perch — the fish
  21. club — for golf
  22. firm — a company
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. drill — a practice

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