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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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Word bank
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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. mug — a cup
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. dip — to sink
  6. mug — to rob
  7. rash — a series
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. mine — for digging
  13. firm — decided
  14. rash — hasty
  15. game — wild animals
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — steady
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mug — a face
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — a match
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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