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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mine · bay · deal · racket · sharp · spring · last · firm

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. firm — steady
  4. spring — the season
  5. last — finally
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. deal — to handle
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. firm — decided
  11. sharp — clever
  12. last — final
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. mine — for digging
  20. last — to go on
  21. firm — a company
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. spring — a coil

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