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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 120 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bat — the animal
  5. season — in sport
  6. staff — employees
  7. bound — tied together
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — music
  12. season — of the year
  13. fine — all right
  14. firm — steady
  15. staff — employees
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bound — certain
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bound — obliged
  20. firm — decided
  21. swing — in golf
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. staff — a stick
  24. nail — for a hammer

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