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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: pitcher · march · mouse · saw · rest · stand · bulb · tear

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. tear — to rip
  5. rest — what's left
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bulb — for light
  14. saw — the tool
  15. march — the month
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bulb — for light
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. tear — from crying
  24. rest — a break

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