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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. firm — steady
  4. squash — to crush
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. squash — the sport
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. firm — a company
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — for catching
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bore — to tire
  16. mark — a grade
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bass — low music
  19. net — after costs
  20. bore — to drill
  21. tear — to rip
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mark — a trace
  24. coach — a trainer

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