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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. ground — the earth
  3. prune — to trim
  4. charge — in control
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. row — a line
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bat — the animal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — decided
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. hand — help
  18. prune — to trim
  19. ground — crushed
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. charge — electricity
  23. ground — a position
  24. charge — a price

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