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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 120 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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. ground — the earth
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bound — obliged
  7. ground — a position
  8. firm — a company
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bound — certain
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bound — tied together
  15. firm — steady
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. sharp — clever
  20. ground — crushed
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. firm — decided
  24. bowl — a dish

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