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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 116 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. capital — money
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. fine — all right
  6. firm — steady
  7. saw — the tool
  8. ground — the earth
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. cap — of ice
  12. capital — a city
  13. firm — decided
  14. cap — a lid
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. hand — help
  17. ground — a position
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fine — high quality
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. cap — a hat
  22. hand — in cards
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. firm — a company

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