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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stand — to bear
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. season — in sport
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. dip — to sink
  10. season — of the year
  11. pass — a permit
  12. sharp — clever
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bat — the animal
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bat — in an idiom

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