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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rock — a stone
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bound — certain
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. can — a tin
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rock — music
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. object — a thing
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. can — a tin
  14. firm — steady
  15. bound — tied together
  16. firm — decided
  17. object — to protest
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tear — from crying
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. tear — from crying
  22. firm — a company
  23. object — an aim
  24. rock — to move gently

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