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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: pitcher · roll · clip · band · foot · bowl · straw · cap

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. clip — for paper
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. band — a music group
  5. foot — a measure
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. roll — a cake
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. clip — a video
  12. cap — of ice
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. cap — a hat
  16. band — a ring
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. cap — a lid
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. clip — to cut

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