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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · mouse · cold · hand · craft · pop · suit · firm

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pop — soda
  5. firm — a company
  6. suit — in cards
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. suit — to fit
  9. cold — an illness
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. craft — boats
  12. firm — steady
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. hand — in cards
  17. cold — not warm
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. suit — clothes
  20. pop — music
  21. firm — decided
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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