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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · date · kick · tear · tube · pitcher · jam · rash

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rash — hasty
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. tube — a container
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. firm — decided
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. tube — the underground
  13. kick — in football
  14. rash — a series
  15. date — the fruit
  16. tear — from crying
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. firm — steady
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. tear — to rip

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