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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 116 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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bank — for money
  3. squash — the sport
  4. club — for dancing
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bank — for money
  7. firm — decided
  8. pit — a hole
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. club — for golf
  12. ground — a position
  13. wound — an injury
  14. club — a group
  15. bound — certain
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bound — tied together
  18. ground — crushed
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bound — obliged
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. firm — a company
  24. squash — to crush

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