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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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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 · rock · staff · stand · fall · prune · mouse · pitcher

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rock — a stone
  5. staff — employees
  6. fall — the season
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rush — hurry
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stand — to bear
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. rock — music
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. stand — for spectators

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