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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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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 · bay · degree · sharp · firm · fine · coach · nail

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — crushed
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. ground — a position
  5. degree — from a university
  6. fine — all right
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. fine — high quality
  12. degree — an amount
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — decided
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. sharp — clever
  22. firm — a company
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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