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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. squash — to crush
  3. firm — a company
  4. ground — a position
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ground — crushed
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. squash — the sport
  10. fine — all right
  11. firm — decided
  12. staff — a stick
  13. scale — size or range
  14. staff — employees
  15. firm — steady
  16. scale — in music
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. ground — the earth
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — high quality
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. ball — a great time
  24. scale — for weighing

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