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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bound — obliged
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. object — a thing
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bound — certain
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. mark — a grade
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bound — tied together
  18. mark — a trace
  19. object — an aim
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. stand — to bear
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. object — to protest
  24. saw — the tool

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