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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: saw · bore · rock · stand · straw · deal · pitcher · fan

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rock — music
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bore — to tire
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bore — to drill
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. deal — to handle
  17. rock — a stone
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. stand — to bear
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stand — for spectators

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