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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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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: pit · firm · wind · roll · cell · bear · present · can

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — a cake
  4. present — there
  5. firm — a company
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. wind — moving air
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bear — the animal
  10. firm — decided
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. present — the time now
  13. can — a tin
  14. firm — steady
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. can — a tin
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. cell — in biology
  19. pit — in a race
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — a phone
  22. bear — the animal
  23. wind — moving air
  24. present — a gift

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