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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. net — in sport
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. rest — a break
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. firm — decided
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. race — humankind
  11. rest — what's left
  12. net — after costs
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. season — of the year
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. race — a contest
  18. net — for catching
  19. season — in sport
  20. rest — what's left
  21. race — the arms race
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. firm — a company

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