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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: rush · band · roll · tear · stand · rest · pass · pitcher

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stand — to bear
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. pass — a permit
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. roll — a list
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. band — a music group
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. band — a ring
  20. rest — what's left
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. rest — a break
  23. roll — a cake
  24. tear — to rip

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