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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: mine · stand · mate · dip · chest · rush · pitcher · rock

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. stand — to bear
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. dip — to sink
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mate — a partner
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. mate — to breed
  12. chest — a box
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mate — a friend
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. chest — of your body

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