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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: bear · scale · firm · pitcher · trunk · sharp · stick · present

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — a company
  3. scale — size or range
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. sharp — clever
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. present — a gift
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — there
  22. scale — in music
  23. firm — steady
  24. pitcher — a jug

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