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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — a company
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. degree — an amount
  6. march — music
  7. ground — the earth
  8. fall — to drop
  9. march — the month
  10. fall — to drop
  11. degree — temperature
  12. firm — steady
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. march — the month
  19. degree — from a university
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bass — the fish
  22. ground — a position
  23. fall — the season
  24. ground — crushed

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