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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: lean · object · pitcher · stock · date · wound · firm · game

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — steady
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. game — wild animals
  7. date — the fruit
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. game — a match
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. object — a thing
  13. stock — shares
  14. wound — an injury
  15. object — an aim
  16. firm — a company
  17. object — to protest
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. lean — to bend
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. lean — thin
  24. stock — goods

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