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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. rock — music
  4. rash — hasty
  5. fine — all right
  6. bound — obliged
  7. cold — an illness
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. firm — decided
  10. mark — a grade
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bound — tied together
  14. court — for sport
  15. firm — steady
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. court — of law
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. cold — not warm
  20. bound — certain
  21. rash — a series
  22. rock — a stone
  23. fine — high quality
  24. court — of a king

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