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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. land — a country
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. rush — hurry
  15. wake — a trail
  16. land — ground
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. land — to come down
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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