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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. firm — a company
  8. tube — the underground
  9. key — in music
  10. firm — steady
  11. swing — music
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. key — for a lock
  15. swing — in golf
  16. key — the most important part
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. swing — to play on
  19. perch — the fish
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. tube — a container
  23. deal — to handle
  24. sharp — exactly

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