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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. firm — steady
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. spell — letters
  5. firm — decided
  6. spell — a short time
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — a position
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. ground — the earth
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. fine — high quality
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. spell — magic
  17. fine — all right
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. firm — a company
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. pitch — completely
  24. patient — a sick person

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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