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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — steady
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. firm — decided
  5. race — humankind
  6. net — after costs
  7. mark — a trace
  8. rule — government
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — a law
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. fine — high quality
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. net — in sport
  15. race — the arms race
  16. fine — all right
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. mark — a grade
  20. net — for catching
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. race — a contest

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