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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. squash — the sport
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. net — in sport
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. hand — in cards
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. squash — to crush
  13. net — for catching
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. firm — decided
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. firm — a company
  19. hand — help
  20. net — after costs
  21. branch — a division
  22. can — a tin
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. club — a group

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