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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: band · rock · can · hand · pitcher · mug · fork · racket

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. can — a tin
  3. fork — in a road
  4. hand — help
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a music group
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — a cup
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. can — a tin
  12. hand — in cards
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rock — music
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. can — to be able to
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. band — a ring
  23. rock — a stone
  24. racket — a loud noise

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