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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. spring — the season
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pit — a hole
  6. ground — crushed
  7. firm — steady
  8. ground — a position
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. spring — of water
  12. ground — the earth
  13. firm — a company
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. spring — a coil
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. lie — to recline
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pit — in a race

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