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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. firm — decided
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. charge — in control
  7. hand — help
  8. charge — electricity
  9. squash — to crush
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. squash — the sport
  13. hand — in cards
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. charge — a price
  16. race — humankind
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. race — the arms race
  19. firm — a company
  20. saw — the tool
  21. race — a contest
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. firm — steady

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