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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. craft — a skill
  3. ground — crushed
  4. craft — boats
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rule — government
  7. firm — decided
  8. season — in sport
  9. rule — a law
  10. season — of the year
  11. ground — a position
  12. firm — steady
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — part of the head
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. squash — to crush
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. face — to confront
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. ground — the earth

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