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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — steady
  4. cold — an illness
  5. scale — in music
  6. board — a committee
  7. firm — a company
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — a trail
  10. court — for sport
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. court — of a king
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — a permit
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. court — of law
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. board — to get on
  20. cold — not warm
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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