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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. wound — an injury
  3. mark — a grade
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. ground — the earth
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. net — after costs
  9. deal — to handle
  10. net — in sport
  11. ground — crushed
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. firm — steady
  17. net — for catching
  18. firm — a company
  19. branch — a division
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. firm — decided
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. mark — a trace

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