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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 · rush · ball · mug · pound · root · bay · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. pound — a weight
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. root — of a plant
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mug — a cup
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. root — the cause
  11. mug — a face
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. mug — to rob
  15. rush — hurry
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. ball — a great time
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. root — of a word
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. game — a match
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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