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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. firm — steady
  3. fork — in a road
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. present — there
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. pop — soda
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. pop — music
  13. snap — to click
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. firm — decided
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. firm — a company
  21. present — a gift
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stem — to come from
  24. pop — to visit

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