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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 120 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: race · pass · hand · pitcher · stick · deal · stand · bowl

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — to bear
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. hand — help
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. race — humankind
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. pass — a permit
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. deal — to handle
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. hand — in cards
  21. race — a contest
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bowl — to roll

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