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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: mine · ground · suit · present · firm · last · bass · hide

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bass — the fish
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. firm — decided
  6. present — there
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. present — the time now
  9. bass — low music
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. firm — steady
  12. mine — for digging
  13. present — a gift
  14. ground — crushed
  15. suit — clothes
  16. firm — a company
  17. ground — the earth
  18. suit — to fit
  19. last — final
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — finally
  24. suit — in cards

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