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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. court — of law
  3. bore — to tire
  4. key — in music
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. degree — an amount
  7. court — of a king
  8. pound — a weight
  9. stand — to bear
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bore — to drill
  12. firm — a company
  13. key — for a lock
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. firm — steady
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. key — the most important part
  21. degree — temperature
  22. court — for sport
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pound — to hit hard

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