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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — the earth
  3. object — a thing
  4. mark — a grade
  5. object — an aim
  6. craft — a skill
  7. ground — a position
  8. hand — in cards
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. mark — a trace
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. fine — all right
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. object — to protest
  17. pass — a permit
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. fine — high quality
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. hand — help
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — of the year

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