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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. court — of law
  3. firm — decided
  4. spell — magic
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bound — tied together
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. court — of a king
  14. foot — a measure
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. firm — a company
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bound — certain
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bound — obliged
  22. court — for sport
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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