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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. firm — a company
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. firm — steady
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. game — wild animals
  17. pitch — completely
  18. wound — an injury
  19. game — a match
  20. rash — hasty
  21. toast — bread
  22. tube — a container
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. rash — a series

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