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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 120 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. court — of a king
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — steady
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. rush — hurry
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. cell — in biology
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — a permit
  13. court — of law
  14. bore — to tire
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bore — to drill
  21. cell — a phone
  22. court — for sport
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. bore — gave birth

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