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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 120 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. fall — to drop
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — size or range
  7. degree — temperature
  8. firm — decided
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — steady
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. scale — in music
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bass — low music
  17. fall — the season
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bass — the fish
  23. rush — hurry
  24. fall — to drop

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