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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · pitcher · clip · root · row · mouse · chair · stand

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. root — of a plant
  7. clip — to cut
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. mug — to rob
  11. chair — a leader
  12. root — of a word
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. clip — a video
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. clip — for paper
  19. row — a line
  20. mug — a face
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. root — the cause
  24. row — to paddle

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