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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bass — low music
  5. ground — crushed
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. firm — a company
  8. ground — a position
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bass — the fish
  11. firm — steady
  12. bark — to shout
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — temperature
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. lie — to recline
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. vault — a safe
  23. degree — from a university
  24. lie — an untruth

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