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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  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. stand — to bear
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. rock — a stone
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wake — a trail
  10. rash — hasty
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. tear — from crying
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. tear — to rip
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pitch — completely
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. rash — a series
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rock — music
  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