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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bass — low music
  5. row — a line
  6. mine — for digging
  7. ground — the earth
  8. firm — steady
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bass — the fish
  11. firm — decided
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. ground — a position
  15. row — to paddle
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pound — a weight
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. ground — crushed
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pound — to hit hard

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