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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 · dip · rush · lean · cap · cell · firm · staff

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. firm — a company
  5. staff — a stick
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. lean — to bend
  8. cap — of ice
  9. dip — to sink
  10. firm — decided
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. staff — employees
  13. cell — in biology
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. cell — a phone
  16. firm — steady
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cap — a hat
  19. lean — thin
  20. staff — employees
  21. rush — hurry
  22. cap — a lid
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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