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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lie · row · firm · snap · ground · court · ball · mine

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ball — a dance
  3. mine — for digging
  4. firm — decided
  5. ground — a position
  6. court — of law
  7. ball — a great time
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. ground — the earth
  10. row — to paddle
  11. firm — steady
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. row — a line
  19. snap — to click
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — for sport
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. firm — a company

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