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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. firm — decided
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bat — the animal
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. present — there
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. root — the cause
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — a company
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — the time now
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. root — of a plant
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. root — of a word

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