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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: pitcher · band · lean · trunk · firm · mark · game · straw

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. band — a music group
  5. game — a match
  6. firm — decided
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — a grade
  10. lean — to bend
  11. band — a ring
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. firm — steady
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. firm — a company
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. lean — thin

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