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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stand — to bear
  4. net — in sport
  5. bass — the fish
  6. firm — decided
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ground — a position
  9. firm — steady
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bass — low music
  13. firm — a company
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. net — after costs
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ball — a great time
  21. net — for catching
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stand — on your feet

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