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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 · wake · spell · tear · board · mark · game · stand

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. spell — magic
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. game — wild animals
  6. board — to get on
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mark — a grade
  12. tear — to rip
  13. wake — a trail
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. spell — letters
  17. stand — to bear
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. spell — a short time
  20. game — a match
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. board — a committee
  23. mark — a trace
  24. board — a flat piece

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