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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: bay · bat · snap · mug · pitcher · scale · season · stand

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. stand — to bear
  3. mug — a cup
  4. season — of the year
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bat — the animal
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. scale — size or range
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. snap — to click
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. season — in sport
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. scale — in music
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mug — a face
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. scale — for weighing

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