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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. object — an aim
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bank — for money
  5. hand — help
  6. object — a thing
  7. rule — a law
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. firm — steady
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. object — to protest
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — to tire
  16. firm — a company
  17. bank — for money
  18. firm — decided
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. hand — in cards
  21. chair — a leader
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bank — of a river
  24. rule — government

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