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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. firm — decided
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. sharp — clever
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. bass — low music
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. firm — steady
  10. kick — in football
  11. bass — the fish
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. key — the most important part
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — a law
  18. bear — the animal
  19. firm — a company
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. key — in music
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. kick — with a leg

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