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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: pitcher · cue · wake · field · leaves · stock · stand · dip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. wake — a trail
  3. cue — a hint
  4. stand — to bear
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stock — goods
  9. field — a subject
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cue — a signal
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. field — for sport
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. stock — shares
  20. cue — for pool
  21. dip — to sink
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. field — farmland

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