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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bear — the animal
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a leader
  6. stem — to come from
  7. land — ground
  8. present — a gift
  9. bass — the fish
  10. present — there
  11. present — the time now
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. board — to get on
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bass — low music
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. land — a country
  19. firm — a company
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bear — the animal
  22. board — a committee
  23. land — to come down
  24. firm — steady

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