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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. firm — decided
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. firm — steady
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. sharp — clever
  15. firm — a company
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. season — of the year
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. season — in sport

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