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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. saw — the tool
  3. can — a tin
  4. suit — clothes
  5. firm — decided
  6. suit — in cards
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. firm — steady
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. can — a tin
  12. shower — rain
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — ground
  15. shower — to wash
  16. land — a country
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. can — to be able to
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. suit — to fit
  23. firm — a company
  24. saw — the tool

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