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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: sharp · bay · firm · rest · pitcher · mark · file · fan

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — a company
  3. rest — a break
  4. file — a document
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. firm — steady
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. sharp — clever
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mark — a grade
  11. file — a line of people
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. file — a tool
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mark — a trace
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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