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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 120 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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — decided
  3. ground — crushed
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. ground — a position
  6. firm — a company
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. key — for a lock
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. season — in sport
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — low music
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. ground — the earth
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. perch — the fish
  20. key — in music
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. season — of the year
  23. key — the most important part
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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