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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. spring — the season
  3. bass — the fish
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — steady
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. staff — employees
  8. ground — a position
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. file — a tool
  12. firm — a company
  13. spring — of water
  14. staff — a stick
  15. foot — a measure
  16. rash — hasty
  17. file — a line of people
  18. ground — crushed
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. rash — a series
  21. staff — employees
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. file — a document
  24. spring — a coil

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