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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mug — to rob
  4. ball — a great time
  5. band — a ring
  6. ground — crushed
  7. land — a country
  8. land — ground
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. net — for catching
  11. firm — a company
  12. ground — a position
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. band — a music group
  15. ball — a dance
  16. firm — steady
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. mug — a cup
  20. firm — decided
  21. land — to come down
  22. net — after costs
  23. mug — a face
  24. net — in sport

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