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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — a company
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fork — in a road
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. present — the time now
  9. bass — low music
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. pass — a permit
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bass — the fish
  15. prune — to trim
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. mine — for digging
  18. present — a gift
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. present — there
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. firm — steady

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