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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. last — final
  5. last — finally
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — for digging
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. firm — a company
  10. bank — of a river
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bark — to shout
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bank — for money
  17. firm — steady
  18. last — to go on
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. craft — boats
  21. firm — decided
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bank — for money
  24. craft — a handicraft

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