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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. firm — steady
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. key — for a lock
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pit — a hole
  14. key — the most important part
  15. season — of the year
  16. firm — a company
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. sharp — clever
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. key — in music
  24. pit — in a race

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