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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — crushed
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. ball — a great time
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — a company
  11. rush — hurry
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. pass — a permit
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mine — for digging
  17. hand — help
  18. firm — steady
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ball — a dance
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mouse — the animal

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