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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. fine — all right
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. last — finally
  5. capital — money
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. firm — a company
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bulb — for light
  10. court — of law
  11. court — for sport
  12. capital — a city
  13. last — final
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. firm — decided
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rock — a stone
  20. court — of a king
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. fine — high quality
  23. firm — steady
  24. last — to go on

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