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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. firm — a company
  3. row — to paddle
  4. land — to come down
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. firm — steady
  7. land — ground
  8. row — a line
  9. firm — decided
  10. mark — a grade
  11. track — a path
  12. club — for dancing
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. track — to keep track
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. land — a country
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. club — for golf
  20. track — a song
  21. club — a group
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the fish

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