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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · ground · ruler · firm · last · cold

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. last — finally
  8. last — to go on
  9. deal — to handle
  10. ground — a position
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. firm — a company
  13. last — final
  14. firm — steady
  15. ground — crushed
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. firm — decided
  18. deal — a big deal

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