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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stock — goods
  4. firm — steady
  5. bound — certain
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bound — obliged
  9. wound — an injury
  10. net — in sport
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. rest — what's left
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. firm — a company
  15. net — for catching
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stock — shares
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bound — tied together
  20. rest — a break
  21. net — after costs
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wound — an injury
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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