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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · tear · pit · bank · firm · pitcher

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. firm — steady
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. firm — a company
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. tear — to rip
  7. pit — in a race
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. tear — from crying
  12. present — there
  13. bank — for money
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. firm — decided
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. present — the time now

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