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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. board — a committee
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. board — to get on
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — steady
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. vault — a safe
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. deal — to handle
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. firm — a company
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wake — a trail

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