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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. firm — a company
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. ground — the earth
  7. vault — a safe
  8. fall — to drop
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — for betting
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bound — tied together
  14. fall — the season
  15. file — a document
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — decided
  18. file — a line of people
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. ground — crushed
  22. pitch — completely
  23. file — a tool
  24. fall — to drop

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