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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
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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: leaves · firm · game · fan · pitcher · squash · bear · rash

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. game — wild animals
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bear — the animal
  10. game — a match
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. firm — decided
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. firm — steady
  15. rash — hasty
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. squash — to crush
  24. rash — a series

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