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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. face — part of the head
  4. tube — a container
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. firm — a company
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. firm — steady
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. tube — the underground
  12. row — a line
  13. stand — to bear
  14. firm — decided
  15. stem — to come from
  16. row — to paddle
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — to confront
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. foot — a measure
  24. tube — in a tire

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