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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: march · chip · leaves · firm · pitcher · wake · rush · bay

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rush — hurry
  12. chip — for betting
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. march — music
  15. wake — a trail
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — decided
  18. march — the month
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. firm — a company
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. march — the month
  24. leaves — of a tree

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