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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bass — low music
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bass — the fish
  24. stand — for spectators

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