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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 120 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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. last — final
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. last — to go on
  10. firm — decided
  11. fine — all right
  12. rash — hasty
  13. firm — steady
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. mark — a grade
  16. rash — a series
  17. last — finally
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. firm — a company
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. chip — for betting
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. nail — for a hammer

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