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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: pitcher · leaves · mate · rock · row · mine · stand · object

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. mine — for digging
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. row — to paddle
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. mate — to breed
  13. object — to protest
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. rock — a stone
  18. row — a line
  19. stand — to bear
  20. object — an aim
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. object — a thing
  24. mate — a partner

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