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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. present — a gift
  3. firm — steady
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. file — a line of people
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. ground — crushed
  8. firm — decided
  9. bass — low music
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. file — a tool
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. saw — the tool
  14. file — a document
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rock — music
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. ground — a position
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — there
  22. bass — the fish
  23. ground — the earth
  24. rock — a stone

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