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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bear — the animal
  3. suit — clothes
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. mug — a cup
  10. firm — decided
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a face
  16. firm — steady
  17. suit — to fit
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. suit — in cards
  22. can — a tin
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bear — the animal

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