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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. firm — decided
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — hasty
  6. game — wild animals
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. club — for dancing
  9. board — to get on
  10. club — a group
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — soda
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pop — music
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — to wash
  17. board — a committee
  18. game — a match
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. firm — a company
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. club — for golf
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. lie — to recline

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