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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. cue — a signal
  4. net — for catching
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. net — in sport
  7. land — a country
  8. land — to come down
  9. net — after costs
  10. firm — decided
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. cue — a hint
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — steady
  19. cue — for pool
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wave — with your hand

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