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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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. stock — goods
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. game — a match
  6. firm — a company
  7. stock — shares
  8. fine — high quality
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mate — a partner
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — wild animals
  15. fine — all right
  16. wound — an injury
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. toast — bread
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. firm — steady
  22. mate — to breed
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. mate — a friend

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