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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. club — for dancing
  3. suit — to fit
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. clip — a video
  6. club — a group
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. pit — a hole
  10. club — for golf
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. face — part of the head
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. clip — to cut
  15. pit — in a race
  16. firm — decided
  17. face — to point toward
  18. firm — a company
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. suit — in cards
  21. clip — for paper
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. face — to confront
  24. suit — clothes

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