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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 · straw · mug · saw · hand · pass · bound · stand

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bound — obliged
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bound — certain
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mug — a face
  12. bound — tied together
  13. pass — a permit
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — help
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. mug — to rob
  24. 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