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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. firm — a company
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. firm — decided
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. spring — of water
  7. net — in sport
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. hand — help
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bore — to drill
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. can — a tin
  14. net — after costs
  15. bore — to tire
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — all right
  18. can — a tin
  19. net — for catching
  20. spring — the season
  21. can — to be able to
  22. spring — a coil
  23. firm — steady
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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