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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. firm — steady
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. firm — a company
  5. bound — certain
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. ball — a great time
  8. foot — a measure
  9. stem — to come from
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. firm — decided
  12. bound — tied together
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bound — obliged
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — shares
  20. squash — the sport
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. squash — to crush
  24. stock — a soup base

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