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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. firm — a company
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ground — the earth
  5. rest — what's left
  6. firm — steady
  7. game — a match
  8. ground — crushed
  9. track — a path
  10. rest — what's left
  11. game — wild animals
  12. ball — a great time
  13. craft — boats
  14. rest — a break
  15. craft — a skill
  16. track — to keep track
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. track — a song
  20. firm — decided
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. ball — a round shape

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