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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
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 · cue · lash · roll · straw · mate · march · bark

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. march — music
  8. bark — to shout
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. mate — a partner
  14. march — the month
  15. cue — for pool
  16. mate — a friend
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. roll — a cake
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. march — the month
  24. cue — a hint

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