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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 · staff · prune · mark · fine · chair · mouse · face

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. face — part of the head
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. chair — a leader
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — high quality
  17. face — to confront
  18. prune — to trim
  19. face — to point toward
  20. fine — all right
  21. mark — a trace
  22. staff — a stick
  23. prune — to trim
  24. chair — a professorship

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