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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. firm — a company
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. last — final
  7. firm — steady
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. ground — a position
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — a measure
  13. last — finally
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. ground — the earth
  17. chip — to eat
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the fish
  21. firm — decided
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. last — to go on
  24. chip — for betting

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