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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  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. game — a match
  2. firm — steady
  3. bear — the animal
  4. ground — crushed
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. last — finally
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. last — final
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bear — the animal
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. last — to go on
  21. firm — decided
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — a position
  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