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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: bear · mark · pitcher · wake · band · staff · foot · saw

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mark — a trace
  3. wake — a trail
  4. staff — employees
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. staff — a stick
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. saw — the tool
  9. band — a music group
  10. foot — a measure
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. band — a ring
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bear — the animal
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. saw — the tool
  22. staff — employees
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pitcher — a jug

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