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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 116 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: stand · hide · rock · band · object · deal · net · pitcher

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — music
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a music group
  7. stand — to bear
  8. object — a thing
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — after costs
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. object — to protest
  18. net — for catching
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. object — an aim
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. hide — to keep secret

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