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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 120 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: ground · mark · pitcher · fork · tube · deal · firm · content

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. firm — a company
  3. deal — to handle
  4. ground — crushed
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. tube — a container
  9. fork — in a road
  10. ground — a position
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — a grade
  14. ground — the earth
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. firm — steady
  19. content — happy
  20. content — the amount
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — the underground
  23. firm — decided
  24. deal — a big deal

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