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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rash — hasty
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bound — certain
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rash — a series
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. wind — moving air
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bound — tied together

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