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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. firm — decided
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. firm — a company
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. firm — steady
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — a law
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bat — the animal
  13. stand — to bear
  14. prune — to trim
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bat — in an idiom

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