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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. ground — a position
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. swing — to play on
  8. firm — a company
  9. swing — music
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bear — the animal
  14. firm — steady
  15. bank — for money
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bear — the animal
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bank — of a river
  20. foot — a measure
  21. swing — in golf
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bank — for money
  24. nail — for a hammer

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