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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. stand — to bear
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. net — after costs
  8. cue — a hint
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bear — the animal
  16. net — for catching
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. net — in sport
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cue — a signal
  24. wake — before a funeral

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