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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  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. date — on the calendar
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. firm — a company
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. degree — temperature
  7. ground — a position
  8. firm — decided
  9. degree — from a university
  10. shower — to wash
  11. charge — a price
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. charge — in control
  14. date — the fruit
  15. branch — a division
  16. shower — rain
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. degree — an amount
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. firm — steady
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. charge — electricity
  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