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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. fine — all right
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. tube — a container
  8. face — to confront
  9. fine — high quality
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bear — the animal
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. ground — a position
  15. firm — steady
  16. ground — the earth
  17. firm — a company
  18. bear — the animal
  19. tube — the underground
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bass — the fish
  23. face — to point toward
  24. firm — decided

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