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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. land — ground
  3. scale — in music
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. firm — decided
  9. land — to come down
  10. firm — a company
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — certain
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. scale — size or range
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. net — in sport
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. net — after costs
  21. bound — tied together
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. land — a country
  24. net — for catching

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