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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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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mark — a grade
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — the time now
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. pop — to visit
  13. hand — in cards
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. hand — help
  17. present — there
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pop — music
  20. fall — the season
  21. pop — soda
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. mouse — the animal

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