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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 120 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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. firm — a company
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. march — the month
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. ground — a position
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to click
  14. ground — crushed
  15. firm — steady
  16. march — the month
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. sharp — clever
  21. march — music
  22. vault — a safe
  23. ground — the earth
  24. racket — for tennis

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