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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 120 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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. mug — to rob
  5. can — a tin
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. track — a song
  12. can — to be able to
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. mug — a cup
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — to shout
  20. mug — a face
  21. can — a tin
  22. track — a path
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stand — to bear

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