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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — steady
  3. sharp — clever
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. last — final
  9. last — to go on
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. last — finally
  13. firm — a company
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. current — happening now
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. current — electric
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rush — hurry
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. current — of water

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