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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: ground · rush · mark · net · rock · drill · stick · band

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. rock — a stone
  3. ground — a position
  4. drill — army training
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. drill — the tool
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. ground — crushed
  12. net — for catching
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. band — a music group
  15. rush — hurry
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. rock — music
  18. mark — a trace
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. drill — a practice
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — in sport
  23. ground — the earth
  24. mark — a grade

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