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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. land — a country
  3. bound — certain
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. firm — a company
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. firm — decided
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. suit — in cards
  11. firm — steady
  12. present — the time now
  13. land — ground
  14. bound — tied together
  15. present — there
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — to fit
  20. land — to come down
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. present — a gift
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bowl — a dish

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