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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. pit — in a race
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. land — ground
  6. firm — steady
  7. land — to come down
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. band — a ring
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. band — a music group
  14. toast — bread
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. ground — a position
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. firm — a company
  21. object — to protest
  22. land — a country
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — an aim

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