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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 116 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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. cue — a signal
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. firm — steady
  5. bank — for money
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. cap — of ice
  9. game — a match
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bank — of a river
  12. firm — a company
  13. cap — a hat
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. content — the amount
  16. cue — for pool
  17. content — happy
  18. cue — a hint
  19. game — wild animals
  20. cap — a lid
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bank — for money
  24. fan — a supporter

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