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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. firm — decided
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pound — a weight
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. fall — to drop
  7. present — the time now
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. present — there
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bear — the animal
  13. present — a gift
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. fall — the season
  18. firm — a company
  19. game — a match
  20. bat — the animal
  21. game — wild animals
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. firm — steady
  24. game — a kind of play

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