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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: wake · pitcher · hand · degree · stand · foot · bat · can

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. hand — in cards
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bat — the animal
  6. foot — a measure
  7. can — a tin
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — a trail
  12. degree — an amount
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. hand — help
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. degree — from a university
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. degree — temperature
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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