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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 120 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. suit — in cards
  4. stand — to bear
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. board — a committee
  9. band — a music group
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — a cup
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. field — farmland
  14. suit — to fit
  15. board — to get on
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. mug — to rob
  18. field — a subject
  19. suit — clothes
  20. field — for sport
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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