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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. cue — a signal
  3. rash — a series
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. field — farmland
  6. tube — a container
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. firm — steady
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. firm — a company
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rash — hasty
  14. cue — a hint
  15. field — for sport
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cue — for pool
  20. firm — decided
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. field — a subject
  24. deal — to handle

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