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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — to paddle
  3. present — a gift
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. firm — steady
  6. can — to be able to
  7. firm — a company
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. firm — decided
  10. chair — a leader
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. can — a tin
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bulb — for light
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — there
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. can — a tin
  21. row — a line
  22. bulb — for light
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. sharp — clever

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