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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. capital — money
  3. press — newspapers
  4. capital — a city
  5. sharp — clever
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. stock — shares
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. press — to push
  12. firm — a company
  13. plane — a tool
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. lean — thin
  17. hand — help
  18. firm — steady
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. lean — to bend
  22. press — a publisher
  23. stock — goods
  24. plane — in geometry

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