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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  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. ground — crushed
  3. sharp — clever
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. firm — steady
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. firm — decided
  8. ground — the earth
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. clip — for paper
  12. can — to be able to
  13. rock — music
  14. ground — a position
  15. clip — to cut
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. can — a tin
  18. rash — a series
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. clip — a video
  21. can — a tin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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