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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 116 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. firm — decided
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. net — for catching
  7. mine — for digging
  8. net — after costs
  9. rock — a stone
  10. fine — all right
  11. dip — to sink
  12. rock — music
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. spring — a coil
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. spring — the season
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. net — in sport
  20. pass — a permit
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — a company
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. spring — of water

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