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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. tube — the underground
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. stock — goods
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. firm — steady
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stock — shares
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. roll — a cake
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. pitch — completely
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. firm — a company
  17. lie — to recline
  18. firm — decided
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. tube — a container
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. roll — a list
  24. chair — a leader

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