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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. cell — a phone
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. ground — the earth
  6. game — a match
  7. firm — steady
  8. cell — in biology
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. firm — decided
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pass — a permit
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mark — a trace
  17. firm — a company
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. mark — a grade
  20. game — wild animals
  21. ground — a position
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. ground — crushed
  24. cell — in a prison

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