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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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. net — for catching
  4. ball — a great time
  5. scale — in music
  6. track — to keep track
  7. ball — a dance
  8. cue — a hint
  9. firm — steady
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pit — a hole
  12. net — in sport
  13. track — a song
  14. board — a committee
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. net — after costs
  20. track — a path
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. board — to get on
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — in a race

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