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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. ground — crushed
  3. firm — a company
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. pop — music
  8. mark — a trace
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. mark — a grade
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. ground — a position
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bat — the animal
  19. firm — decided
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pop — soda
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. pop — to visit

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