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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — steady
  5. present — there
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pit — a hole
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. board — to get on
  11. key — for a lock
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. pit — in a race
  14. present — a gift
  15. tube — a container
  16. board — a committee
  17. key — the most important part
  18. capital — a city
  19. prune — to trim
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — the underground
  22. present — the time now
  23. key — in music
  24. capital — a big letter

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