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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 116 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: pop · firm · fall · lie · game · ground · kick · fine

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. ground — a position
  3. game — a match
  4. pop — music
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. firm — decided
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. pop — soda
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. fine — all right
  19. kick — in football
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fine — high quality
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — steady
  24. fall — to drop

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