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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. pop — soda
  6. staff — employees
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — in cards
  9. staff — a stick
  10. pop — to visit
  11. band — a ring
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. suit — to fit
  16. tear — from crying
  17. drill — a practice
  18. pop — music
  19. tear — to rip
  20. drill — army training
  21. tear — from crying
  22. band — a music group
  23. staff — employees
  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