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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 116 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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. wound — an injury
  4. march — music
  5. staff — employees
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. march — the month
  10. firm — decided
  11. march — the month
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. cap — a lid
  14. wound — an injury
  15. ground — a position
  16. staff — employees
  17. mine — for digging
  18. ground — crushed
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a hat
  21. firm — a company
  22. sharp — clever
  23. staff — a stick
  24. firm — steady

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