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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
468
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: present · racket · calf · band · mouse · craft · rush · ground

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. ground — crushed
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. craft — a skill
  6. present — the time now
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ground — a position
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rush — hurry
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. band — a music group
  15. present — there
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. craft — boats
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. present — a gift
  22. ground — the earth
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young 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