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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: mug · pitcher · suit · rush · rash · pit · cold · stand

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. suit — in cards
  5. mug — a face
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. stand — to bear
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. rash — hasty
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rush — hurry
  16. suit — clothes
  17. pit — in a race
  18. mug — a cup
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. cold — not warm
  21. mug — to rob
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. cold — an illness

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