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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. firm — decided
  5. charge — in control
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. firm — steady
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. net — for catching
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. last — to go on
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. net — in sport
  19. charge — a price
  20. firm — a company
  21. net — after costs
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. last — finally

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