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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. firm — a company
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. firm — steady
  6. squash — to crush
  7. rock — a stone
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — completely
  10. game — wild animals
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. firm — decided
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. wind — moving air
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rock — music
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. squash — the sport
  23. game — a match
  24. wind — moving air

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