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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · mug · cell · squash · bass · stand · bark · chip

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. squash — to crush
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — to rob
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bass — low music
  15. stand — to bear
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. mug — a face
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bark — to shout
  24. cell — in biology

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