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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: fine · ground · row · game · mark · pit · capital · firm

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. mark — a trace
  3. row — to paddle
  4. mark — a grade
  5. ground — a position
  6. firm — decided
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. firm — steady
  9. ground — crushed
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. fine — high quality
  12. game — a match
  13. pit — in a race
  14. ground — the earth
  15. pit — a hole
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. capital — a city
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. game — wild animals
  20. fine — all right
  21. capital — money
  22. firm — a company
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. row — a line

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