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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 120 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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. last — final
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. last — to go on
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. shower — rain
  9. club — for golf
  10. ground — the earth
  11. firm — steady
  12. ground — a position
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — decided
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. last — finally
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to sink
  20. club — for dancing
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. shower — to wash
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. club — a group

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