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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bore — to drill
  3. firm — a company
  4. band — a ring
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — a cake
  7. firm — decided
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. wound — an injury
  13. ground — the earth
  14. firm — steady
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. band — a music group
  17. dip — to sink
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. wound — an injury
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. deal — to handle
  24. ground — a position

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