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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. season — in sport
  3. mine — for digging
  4. firm — steady
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. season — of the year
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a hint
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cue — a signal
  11. vault — a safe
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. ground — the earth
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. ground — a position
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. firm — a company
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. ground — crushed
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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