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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. tube — the underground
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. firm — decided
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. last — to go on
  11. game — a match
  12. game — wild animals
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bark — to shout
  15. last — finally
  16. firm — a company
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. last — final
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. firm — steady
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. fine — all right

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