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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. date — the fruit
  3. firm — steady
  4. bear — the animal
  5. firm — a company
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — humankind
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bear — the animal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — for digging
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. deal — to handle
  20. race — the arms race
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. deal — a big deal

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