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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — steady
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. charge — in control
  7. wind — moving air
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. firm — a company
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — to crush
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. charge — electricity
  20. fine — all right
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wound — an injury
  24. charge — a price

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