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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. key — for a lock
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. firm — a company
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. row — a line
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. key — in music
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. pit — a hole
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. band — a music group
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. band — a ring
  19. firm — decided
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. firm — steady
  22. key — the most important part
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pitcher — a jug

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