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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: ball · fine · last · club · rule · bat · firm · bear

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — a company
  3. bat — the animal
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — final
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rule — government
  10. club — for dancing
  11. ball — a great time
  12. fine — all right
  13. club — a group
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fine — high quality
  16. club — for golf
  17. firm — decided
  18. last — finally
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. ball — a dance

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