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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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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: fall · tear · stand · coach · jam · racket · pitcher · ruler

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. tear — to rip
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. tear — from crying
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fall — the season
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stand — to bear

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