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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bass — the fish
  4. firm — steady
  5. spring — of water
  6. fall — to drop
  7. spring — a coil
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pound — a weight
  10. kick — in football
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. firm — decided
  13. bass — low music
  14. track — a song
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. firm — a company
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. spring — the season
  21. track — to keep track
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. fall — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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