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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. stand — to bear
  3. chair — a leader
  4. cap — a lid
  5. prune — to trim
  6. firm — steady
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. ball — a dance
  11. firm — decided
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cap — of ice
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a great time
  16. cap — a hat
  17. pitch — completely
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — crushed
  21. firm — a company
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — on your feet

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