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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. lean — to bend
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of law
  5. content — the amount
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. band — a music group
  8. staff — employees
  9. bore — to tire
  10. firm — steady
  11. bore — to drill
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. chip — for betting
  17. court — of a king
  18. lean — thin
  19. firm — a company
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. chip — to eat
  23. band — a ring
  24. content — happy

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