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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. pit — in a race
  5. file — a tool
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. can — a tin
  9. row — a line
  10. firm — steady
  11. can — a tin
  12. file — a document
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. firm — a company
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pit — a hole
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. can — to be able to
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bulb — for light
  24. row — a quarrel

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