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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bank — for money
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. stand — to bear
  10. squash — the sport
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. hand — in cards
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bank — of a river
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. hand — help
  18. scale — in music
  19. squash — to crush
  20. scale — size or range
  21. dip — to sink
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bank — for money
  24. scale — for weighing

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