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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 116 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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. spring — the season
  4. rock — music
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. craft — a skill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. kick — in football
  13. stand — to bear
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rush — hurry
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. spring — a coil
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. craft — boats
  23. rock — a stone
  24. spring — of water

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