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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. firm — steady
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. tube — the underground
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. firm — a company
  8. tube — a container
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — for dancing
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. charge — electricity
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. charge — in control
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. firm — decided
  20. club — a group
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — to handle
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. charge — a price

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