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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 116 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: rash · game · wind · stand · bat · prune · pitcher · bound

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. prune — to trim
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. rash — a series
  11. game — wild animals
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bound — certain
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bound — tied together
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bound — obliged
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bat — the animal
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. game — a match

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