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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 124 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — decided
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. march — the month
  6. march — the month
  7. pop — soda
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. rock — music
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pop — to visit
  13. sharp — clever
  14. firm — steady
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. last — finally
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. last — final
  20. last — to go on
  21. march — music
  22. pop — music
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — with an edge

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