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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: straw · pitcher · stick · band · nail · rule · jam · game

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rule — government
  9. game — a match
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. band — a music group
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. game — wild animals
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. rule — a law
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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