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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. cold — an illness
  3. last — to go on
  4. pitch — completely
  5. suit — in cards
  6. club — for dancing
  7. last — final
  8. cold — not warm
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. last — finally
  11. club — for golf
  12. firm — decided
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. row — a line
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. firm — steady
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. club — a group
  22. row — to paddle
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — to fit

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