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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: pitcher · wake · nail · firm · pit · rule · mine · tear

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. wake — a trail
  3. firm — decided
  4. tear — to rip
  5. mine — for digging
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. firm — a company
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rule — a law
  12. tear — from crying
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — a hole
  19. firm — steady
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. rule — government
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pit — in a race

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