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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. cell — a phone
  3. ground — a position
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. tube — the underground
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — steady
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. firm — decided
  11. game — a match
  12. tube — a container
  13. mate — a partner
  14. ground — the earth
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. mate — a friend
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — wild animals
  23. cell — in biology
  24. ground — crushed

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