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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. staff — employees
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. mark — a grade
  5. staff — employees
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — a company
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — the tool
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. mark — a trace
  13. fall — the season
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bark — to shout
  18. fall — to drop
  19. hand — help
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. pitch — completely
  22. hand — in cards
  23. staff — a stick
  24. fall — to drop

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