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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  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. firm — steady
  2. object — a thing
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. land — a country
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cell — in biology
  9. land — ground
  10. firm — a company
  11. ground — the earth
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. ground — a position
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. object — to protest
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. object — an aim
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. cell — a phone
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. land — to come down
  23. bowl — to roll
  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