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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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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 · pop · last · wound · roll · can · saw · pit

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  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. firm — a company
  2. can — to be able to
  3. pop — soda
  4. last — to go on
  5. pit — in a race
  6. last — finally
  7. roll — a cake
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. firm — steady
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. last — final
  12. pop — to visit
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. can — a tin
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — a hole
  19. can — a tin
  20. roll — a list
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pop — music
  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