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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · kid · bay · bowl · cell · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. kid — to tease
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. firm — a company
  13. kid — child
  14. fine — all right
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. cell — a phone
  17. firm — steady
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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