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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. rock — a stone
  3. hand — in cards
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. fine — all right
  6. hand — help
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. ground — crushed
  12. fine — high quality
  13. toast — bread
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. ground — a position
  17. rock — music
  18. ground — the earth

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