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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. prune — to trim
  6. firm — steady
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. prune — to trim
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the sport
  11. capital — money
  12. row — a line
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. capital — a city
  17. row — to paddle
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. firm — decided
  24. jam — a tight spot

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