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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. firm — steady
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. pitch — completely
  9. firm — a company
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. last — finally
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. rest — what's left
  16. march — the month
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. last — final
  20. bass — low music
  21. last — to go on
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bass — the fish
  24. rest — a break

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