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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: row · tube · sharp · mine · firm · cabinet · pitcher · jam

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. tube — the underground
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — clever
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. firm — a company
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. firm — steady
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. mine — for digging
  19. row — a line
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. row — to paddle
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. firm — decided

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