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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 116 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. firm — a company
  5. pop — to visit
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pop — music
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — to handle
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. fall — to drop
  12. firm — decided
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — a container
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. saw — the tool
  18. firm — steady
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. fall — the season
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. saw — the tool

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