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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. can — a tin
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. can — a tin
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. can — to be able to
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — goods
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. firm — steady
  15. cue — a hint
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. firm — a company
  21. pound — a weight
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. cue — for pool

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