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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. suit — in cards
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bear — the animal
  6. firm — a company
  7. last — final
  8. last — to go on
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. ground — a position
  12. firm — decided
  13. spell — letters
  14. ground — crushed
  15. net — after costs
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bear — the animal
  18. spell — magic
  19. firm — steady
  20. net — in sport
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. ground — the earth
  23. suit — clothes
  24. net — for catching

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