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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.

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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. firm — steady
  6. game — wild animals
  7. firm — decided
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bass — low music
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. firm — a company
  15. bear — the animal
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. lie — to recline
  18. stand — to bear
  19. game — a match
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bass — the fish
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — a series
  24. bear — the animal

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