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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rock — a stone
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. hand — in cards
  6. date — the fruit
  7. bear — the animal
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. rock — music
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bear — the animal
  12. squash — the sport
  13. dip — to sink
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. club — a group
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — a company
  21. squash — to crush
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. club — for golf

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