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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — a permit
  5. perch — the fish
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. firm — a company
  8. firm — steady
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. spring — of water
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. spring — the season
  13. charge — in control
  14. spring — a coil
  15. content — the amount
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. charge — a price
  20. rush — hurry
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. charge — electricity
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. content — happy

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