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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. firm — a company
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. content — the amount
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — a position
  9. last — to go on
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. chair — a leader
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. last — finally
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. last — final
  19. firm — decided
  20. ground — the earth
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. content — happy
  23. firm — steady
  24. chair — a professorship

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