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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stand — to bear
  3. track — to keep track
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. firm — a company
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. rush — hurry
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. track — a path
  15. sharp — clever
  16. vault — a safe
  17. firm — steady
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. firm — decided
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. track — a song
  23. pitch — completely
  24. stand — on your feet

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