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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: kick · mug · craft · band · roll · stand · cabinet · pitcher

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. band — a ring
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. mug — to rob
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. kick — in football
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. craft — a skill
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. band — a music group
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. mug — a face
  20. roll — a list
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. roll — a cake
  23. craft — boats
  24. cabinet — ministers

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