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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bark — to shout
  7. ground — the earth
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. firm — decided
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. stem — to come from
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. firm — a company
  14. tube — a container
  15. ground — crushed
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. saw — the tool
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. ground — a position
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — to handle

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