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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. firm — a company
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. can — a tin
  5. ground — the earth
  6. firm — steady
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bat — the animal
  11. ground — a position
  12. charge — a price
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. firm — decided
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — hasty
  17. stand — to bear
  18. can — a tin
  19. vault — a safe
  20. can — to be able to
  21. charge — electricity
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. charge — in control

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