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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. firm — decided
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. prune — to trim
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. firm — a company
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. firm — steady
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. pitch — completely
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rush — hurry
  20. band — a music group
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. prune — the fruit

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