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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. firm — decided
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. march — the month
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. fine — high quality
  11. firm — steady
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. march — music
  15. tube — a container
  16. land — a country
  17. firm — a company
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. tube — the underground
  20. march — the month
  21. land — ground
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. land — to come down

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