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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 116 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: bear · pitcher · fall · cold · net · fine · staff · stick

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. net — after costs
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. staff — employees
  11. fine — high quality
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. cold — an illness
  18. fine — all right
  19. cold — not warm
  20. net — in sport
  21. fall — to drop
  22. net — for catching
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fall — the season

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