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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bass — low music
  6. object — an aim
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. firm — steady
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. object — a thing
  14. land — ground
  15. ground — a position
  16. land — a country
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bass — the fish
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. object — to protest
  21. bear — the animal
  22. firm — a company
  23. bear — the animal
  24. firm — decided

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