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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: foot · tube · nail · firm · press · bear · land · pitcher

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bear — the animal
  3. land — a country
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. tube — a container
  6. bear — the animal
  7. press — newspapers
  8. land — ground
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. tube — the underground
  15. firm — decided
  16. land — to come down
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. press — a publisher
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. firm — a company
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. press — to push

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