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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 120 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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. ground — a position
  3. club — for dancing
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. club — a group
  8. fine — high quality
  9. snap — to click
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. game — a match
  12. fine — all right
  13. ground — the earth
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. ground — crushed
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — steady
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — wild animals
  21. firm — decided
  22. club — for golf
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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