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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: wind · pitcher · pop · tube · bear · bowl · present · firm

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. present — the time now
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. present — there
  6. firm — steady
  7. pop — soda
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. pop — music
  11. firm — decided
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pop — to visit
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. present — a gift
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. firm — a company
  22. tube — a container
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. wind — moving air

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