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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. last — finally
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. pop — soda
  6. pit — in a race
  7. firm — steady
  8. ground — the earth
  9. band — a ring
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — to visit
  12. band — a music group
  13. ground — crushed
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. ground — a position
  16. firm — a company
  17. last — final
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bass — the fish
  20. last — to go on
  21. fine — high quality
  22. firm — decided
  23. bass — low music
  24. fine — a penalty

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