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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 120 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. firm — steady
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. firm — decided
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. firm — a company
  8. board — to get on
  9. deal — to handle
  10. march — music
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. march — the month
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. march — the month
  22. board — a committee
  23. straw — dry grass
  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