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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. stem — to come from
  3. pop — soda
  4. firm — steady
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. firm — decided
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. firm — a company
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pop — music
  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