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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.

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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: hide · band · pitcher · current · bowl · fork · straw · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. rest — a break
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. current — electric
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. current — happening now
  11. fork — in a road
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. band — a ring
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. current — of water
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. band — a music group
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bowl — a football final

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