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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 116 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — to handle
  6. root — of a word
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. firm — decided
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. root — of a plant
  12. firm — steady
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. shower — to wash
  16. root — the cause
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. firm — a company
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — in a road
  24. shower — rain

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