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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: mug · pitcher · court · stick · chest · perch · stand · lash

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. chest — of your body
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mug — to rob
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. perch — the fish
  10. court — for sport
  11. stand — to bear
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mug — a face
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. chest — of your body
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. court — of law
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. court — of a king
  21. chest — a box
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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