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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. firm — decided
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. firm — steady
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pound — a weight
  9. firm — a company
  10. tube — the underground
  11. game — wild animals
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. sharp — clever
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. game — a match
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. tube — a container
  21. bass — low music
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bass — the fish

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