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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stand — to bear
  3. mate — a partner
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mate — to breed
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. rock — a stone
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. mate — a friend
  17. rock — music
  18. pitcher — in baseball

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