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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. wound — an injury
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pass — a permit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. firm — a company
  7. rest — a break
  8. ground — a position
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bass — the fish
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bass — low music
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — the fruit
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. firm — steady

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