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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: mouse · court · bass · dip · pitcher · hide · staff · firm

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. staff — employees
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. staff — employees
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. court — of a king
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — decided
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. staff — a stick
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. court — for sport
  18. bass — the fish
  19. court — of law
  20. firm — a company
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — low music
  24. pitcher — a jug

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