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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. charge — electricity
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — a company
  5. fine — all right
  6. charge — a price
  7. stand — to bear
  8. chest — a box
  9. bank — of a river
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rest — a break
  13. chest — of your body
  14. fine — high quality
  15. firm — steady
  16. bank — for money
  17. rest — what's left
  18. charge — in control
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bank — for money
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. chest — of your body

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