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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  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. firm — decided
  2. craft — boats
  3. snap — to click
  4. ground — the earth
  5. cap — a lid
  6. net — in sport
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ground — a position
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. firm — a company
  12. net — after costs
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. ground — crushed
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cap — of ice
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bulb — for light
  21. net — for catching
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. cap — a hat
  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