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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. staff — employees
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ground — the earth
  7. snap — to click
  8. staff — a stick
  9. present — the time now
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. present — there
  14. ball — a great time
  15. kick — in football
  16. firm — decided
  17. staff — employees
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. ground — a position
  20. court — of law
  21. firm — a company
  22. present — a gift
  23. court — for sport
  24. court — of a king

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