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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. ground — the earth
  3. roll — a cake
  4. roll — a list
  5. ground — a position
  6. drill — a practice
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. drill — army training
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — all right
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mark — a grade
  13. ball — a dance
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — steady
  16. ball — a great time
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. mark — a trace
  20. ground — crushed
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. drill — the tool
  24. roll — on a roll

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