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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. rush — hurry
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. fine — high quality
  10. firm — decided
  11. can — a tin
  12. sharp — clever
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. firm — a company
  18. chair — a leader
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. prune — to trim
  22. can — to be able to
  23. fine — all right
  24. can — a tin

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