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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. firm — steady
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. object — a thing
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. object — to protest
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. firm — a company
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. capital — a city
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rule — government
  21. object — an aim
  22. capital — money
  23. rule — a law
  24. hide — to keep secret

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