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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 116 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: firm · rule · wound · mug · bay · present · pitcher · pop

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. firm — a company
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. pop — music
  12. present — there
  13. rule — government
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wound — an injury
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — decided
  18. wound — an injury
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — the time now
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. pop — to visit
  23. mug — to rob
  24. pop — soda

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