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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rash — a series
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. can — a tin
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cue — a signal
  15. row — a line
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. rash — hasty
  19. can — a tin
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. cue — a hint
  24. can — to be able to

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