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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: bark · ground · sharp · firm · cap · band · temple · suit

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. band — a music group
  3. suit — in cards
  4. firm — steady
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. firm — a company
  8. ground — the earth
  9. cap — of ice
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cap — a lid
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bark — to shout
  14. suit — clothes
  15. cap — a hat
  16. ground — crushed
  17. sharp — clever
  18. ground — a position
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. suit — to fit
  22. band — a ring
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. temple — side of the head

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