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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. land — to come down
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. firm — a company
  5. key — in music
  6. suit — to fit
  7. key — for a lock
  8. land — a country
  9. bound — obliged
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. clip — for paper
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. clip — a video
  14. suit — clothes
  15. key — the most important part
  16. firm — steady
  17. bound — certain
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. clip — to cut
  20. mine — for digging
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bound — tied together
  23. land — ground
  24. firm — decided

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