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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
468
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: firm · shower · saw · present · key · staff · pop · pitcher

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. firm — steady
  3. staff — employees
  4. pop — to visit
  5. staff — a stick
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. saw — the tool
  8. key — for a lock
  9. firm — decided
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. shower — to wash
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — rain
  16. staff — employees
  17. key — the most important part
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — music
  20. present — there
  21. firm — a company
  22. key — in music
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — the time now

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