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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. firm — a company
  3. pop — soda
  4. fine — all right
  5. rock — music
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. firm — steady
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pop — music
  10. drill — the tool
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. drill — a practice
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. drill — army training
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pop — to visit
  18. fine — high quality
  19. firm — decided
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rock — a stone
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pitcher — a jug

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