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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: rock · mark · ball · ground · stand · wind · pitcher · object

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. mark — a grade
  4. object — an aim
  5. ball — a great time
  6. object — a thing
  7. wind — moving air
  8. ball — a dance
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. ground — a position
  11. mark — a trace
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. ground — crushed
  17. object — to protest
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. rock — music

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