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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 124 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. spell — magic
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — steady
  10. spell — a short time
  11. can — a tin
  12. saw — the tool
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. can — a tin
  20. firm — decided
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. can — to be able to
  23. spell — letters
  24. nail — for a hammer

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