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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. ground — crushed
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. ground — a position
  10. firm — decided
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. ground — the earth
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. firm — a company
  17. row — a line
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. row — to paddle
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. firm — steady

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