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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. row — a line
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. branch — a division
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — a position
  10. firm — decided
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. cue — a signal
  16. ground — the earth
  17. cue — a hint
  18. firm — a company
  19. cue — for pool
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. firm — steady
  24. row — to paddle

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