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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. firm — steady
  3. ground — crushed
  4. staff — employees
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ground — a position
  7. cap — a hat
  8. present — there
  9. firm — decided
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cap — of ice
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. staff — a stick
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. staff — employees
  18. ground — the earth
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — a gift
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. firm — a company

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