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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. fall — the season
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. firm — steady
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. firm — a company
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. rule — a law
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bark — to shout
  20. rule — government
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fall — to drop
  24. firm — decided

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