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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. rest — what's left
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. prune — to trim
  6. firm — steady
  7. rest — a break
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. stand — to bear
  10. firm — a company
  11. prune — to trim
  12. last — finally
  13. tube — a container
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. tube — the underground
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. last — to go on
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wound — an injury
  23. last — final
  24. wound — an injury

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