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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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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: mouse · chair · ground · band · craft · rush · rock · pitch

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. chair — a leader
  4. ground — the earth
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. craft — a skill
  7. ground — a position
  8. craft — boats
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a music group
  15. rush — hurry
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. ground — crushed
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. rock — a stone
  24. mouse — the animal

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