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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 116 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. last — to go on
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — decided
  5. bear — the animal
  6. march — music
  7. last — final
  8. rash — hasty
  9. root — the cause
  10. march — the month
  11. last — finally
  12. bear — the animal
  13. season — in sport
  14. march — the month
  15. season — of the year
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — for betting
  19. firm — steady
  20. root — of a word
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. chip — to eat
  23. rash — a series
  24. root — of a plant

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