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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. firm — decided
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. cap — of ice
  8. firm — a company
  9. cap — a hat
  10. fine — all right
  11. chest — of your body
  12. track — a path
  13. track — to keep track
  14. firm — steady
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. chest — a box
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. chest — of your body
  20. track — a song
  21. cap — a lid
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. pit — in a race
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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