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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stand · pitcher · jam · row · drill · mate

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. drill — a practice
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. mate — to breed
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. mate — a friend
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. mate — a partner
  9. drill — the tool
  10. row — a line
  11. drill — army training
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. pitcher — a jug

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