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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. spring — of water
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. firm — a company
  5. pit — a hole
  6. spring — a coil
  7. club — for golf
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — in sport
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitch — completely
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — a group
  16. spring — the season
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. season — of the year
  22. tube — a container
  23. firm — decided
  24. tube — the underground

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