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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. ground — crushed
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. mark — a grade
  6. firm — steady
  7. hand — help
  8. wake — a trail
  9. fine — all right
  10. net — in sport
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. net — for catching
  13. hand — in cards
  14. mark — a trace
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. ground — a position
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. squash — to crush
  19. fine — high quality
  20. net — after costs
  21. ground — the earth
  22. squash — the sport
  23. firm — a company
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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