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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — steady
  3. can — to be able to
  4. club — a group
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. craft — boats
  8. game — a match
  9. firm — a company
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. can — a tin
  14. stem — to come from
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. can — a tin
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. craft — a skill
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. game — wild animals
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. perch — the fish
  24. club — for golf

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