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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 116 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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. object — an aim
  9. squash — to crush
  10. degree — from a university
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. firm — steady
  13. staff — employees
  14. squash — the sport
  15. degree — temperature
  16. pop — music
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. degree — an amount
  20. object — to protest
  21. firm — a company
  22. pop — to visit
  23. object — a thing
  24. pop — soda

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