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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. net — in sport
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cue — a signal
  7. content — happy
  8. firm — decided
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. firm — steady
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — crushed
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. net — for catching
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. ground — the earth
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. net — after costs
  24. content — the amount

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