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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 124 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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. wound — an injury
  3. scale — in music
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — a line
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. scale — size or range
  14. row — to paddle
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to sink
  17. firm — decided
  18. board — to get on
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. key — in music
  21. firm — a company
  22. board — a committee
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. board — a flat piece

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