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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 116 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. ground — crushed
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. ground — the earth
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. firm — steady
  9. rock — a stone
  10. kick — in football
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. firm — decided
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rock — music
  16. firm — a company
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. wound — an injury
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. rock — to move gently
  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