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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 120 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. craft — boats
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of a king
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. march — the month
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. craft — a skill
  10. press — a publisher
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. snap — to click
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. firm — a company
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. march — music
  18. press — to push
  19. court — of law
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. march — the month
  23. firm — decided
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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