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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rash — hasty
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. rash — a series
  8. kid — child
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. firm — steady
  13. ground — the earth
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. kid — to tease
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bark — to shout
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. firm — decided
  24. ground — a position

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