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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wind · wave · pitcher · chair · drill · club · mug · staff

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. drill — a practice
  4. mug — to rob
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for dancing
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. drill — the tool
  10. wind — moving air
  11. club — for golf
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. mug — a face
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. staff — employees
  21. chair — a leader
  22. mug — a cup
  23. drill — army training
  24. wind — moving air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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