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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. present — the time now
  3. rock — music
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. race — the arms race
  7. band — a music group
  8. hand — help
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — a trace
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — a company
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. present — a gift
  17. race — humankind
  18. present — there
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. rock — a stone
  21. band — a ring
  22. race — a contest
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — to shout

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