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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. track — a path
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. deal — to handle
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. firm — steady
  8. cue — a hint
  9. track — to keep track
  10. row — a line
  11. cue — a signal
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. firm — a company
  15. track — a song
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. pass — a permit
  18. row — to paddle
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. deal — a big deal

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