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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — decided
  3. squash — the sport
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. squash — to crush
  8. pound — a weight
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. capital — money
  12. march — the month
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. capital — a city
  15. march — music
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. march — the month
  22. firm — steady
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. bay — a horse colour

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