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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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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: pitcher · hide · fork · wake · rest · row · suit · ball

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. ball — a great time
  3. suit — in cards
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. wake — a trail
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. suit — to fit
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. ball — a dance
  17. row — a line
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fork — in a road
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. suit — clothes

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