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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. firm — steady
  4. cue — a signal
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — the earth
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. track — to keep track
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. cue — for pool
  11. track — a path
  12. cue — a hint
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. track — a song
  16. wake — a trail
  17. snap — to click
  18. firm — decided
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. ground — a position
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — belonging to me

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