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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: firm · bear · bowl · present · last · suit · rash · pitcher

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. present — there
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. last — to go on
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. firm — decided
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. present — a gift
  15. firm — a company
  16. bear — the animal
  17. present — the time now
  18. rash — hasty
  19. firm — steady
  20. suit — to fit
  21. rash — a series
  22. suit — in cards
  23. last — finally
  24. pitcher — a jug

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