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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 116 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. can — a tin
  3. ground — a position
  4. firm — decided
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ground — the earth
  8. can — to be able to
  9. ball — a great time
  10. firm — a company
  11. last — finally
  12. last — final
  13. last — to go on
  14. press — to push
  15. rash — hasty
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. rash — a series
  18. press — newspapers
  19. firm — steady
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — to protest
  22. press — a publisher
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. can — a tin

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