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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: land · rock · staff · ground · pitcher · mouse · coach · saw

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rock — a stone
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. land — ground
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. staff — a stick
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. ground — a position
  12. rock — music
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. land — to come down
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. staff — employees
  17. saw — the tool
  18. land — a country
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — crushed
  24. mouse — the animal

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