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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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Word bank
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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: ground · fine · field · bass · content · firm · fan · hide

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. ground — the earth
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. content — happy
  8. ground — crushed
  9. field — a subject
  10. content — the amount
  11. bass — low music
  12. firm — a company
  13. fine — high quality
  14. field — farmland
  15. firm — steady
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. field — for sport
  18. bass — the fish
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. firm — decided
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. fine — all right
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. hide — to keep secret

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