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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: bowl · dip · pitcher · rule · bark · jam · firm · land

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. land — to come down
  4. dip — to sink
  5. firm — steady
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. land — a country
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. rule — a law
  14. firm — decided
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. rule — government
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. firm — a company
  19. land — ground
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. bark — to shout
  24. dip — to dunk

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