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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. firm — steady
  4. mate — a partner
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — to breed
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. object — a thing
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. firm — a company
  14. bound — obliged
  15. object — to protest
  16. club — a group
  17. chair — a leader
  18. object — an aim
  19. club — for dancing
  20. bound — tied together
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. club — for golf
  24. bound — certain

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