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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. firm — steady
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. pop — music
  10. rest — what's left
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. race — a contest
  14. key — the most important part
  15. chair — a leader
  16. rest — a break
  17. pop — soda
  18. firm — a company
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. firm — decided
  21. race — humankind
  22. key — in music
  23. race — the arms race
  24. pop — to visit

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