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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 116 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: mouse · pitcher · leaves · fall · court · mug · bat · hand

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. mug — a face
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mug — to rob
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. court — of law
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. court — for sport
  20. bat — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. court — of a king

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