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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. band — a ring
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. firm — a company
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. ground — a position
  8. mark — a trace
  9. saw — the tool
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. ground — the earth
  12. firm — decided
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. firm — steady
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. ground — crushed
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — in music
  20. band — a music group
  21. mark — a grade
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. sharp — with an edge

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