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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chip · rest · tube · deal · field · pitcher · bass · firm

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. field — a subject
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bass — the fish
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bass — low music
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. field — for sport
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. chip — for betting
  13. firm — a company
  14. rest — what's left
  15. tube — a container
  16. rest — what's left
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. deal — to handle
  20. chip — to eat
  21. field — farmland
  22. firm — decided
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. rest — a break

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