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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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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: straw · sharp · stand · pitcher · nail · chair · band · dip

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. band — a ring
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. chair — a leader
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stand — to bear
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. dip — to sink

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