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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: bowl · dip · wake · land · key · jam · firm · stick

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. dip — to sink
  6. land — ground
  7. wake — a trail
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. key — in music
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. land — to come down
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. key — for a lock
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. land — a country
  22. firm — steady
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. firm — a company

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