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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. charge — in control
  6. bass — the fish
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — an aim
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. charge — a price
  11. cold — not warm
  12. vault — a safe
  13. cold — an illness
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. object — a thing
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. firm — a company
  22. bass — low music
  23. firm — decided
  24. pass — a permit

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