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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: mug · mark · chair · cabinet · rash · firm · ground · trunk

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. mug — to rob
  3. firm — steady
  4. mark — a trace
  5. firm — decided
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. ground — the earth
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. mug — a face
  15. mark — a grade
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. chair — a leader
  19. rash — hasty
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. firm — a company
  22. mug — a cup
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. ground — a position

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