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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. kick — in football
  4. club — for dancing
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bound — obliged
  8. club — a group
  9. cell — a phone
  10. prune — to trim
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. cell — in biology
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. firm — decided
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. date — the fruit
  17. club — for golf
  18. bound — tied together
  19. prune — to trim
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. firm — steady
  22. bound — certain
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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