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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. fine — high quality
  3. present — a gift
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — to get on
  6. ball — a dance
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. band — a ring
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. ball — a great time
  15. present — there
  16. present — the time now
  17. fine — all right
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. ground — a position
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. ground — the earth

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