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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: staff · pop · cell · racket · stick · ground · rock · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  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. mug — a cup
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pop — to visit
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — a stone
  6. mug — a face
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. cell — a phone
  10. pop — soda
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. staff — employees
  13. mug — to rob
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — a position
  19. pop — music
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. ground — crushed
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — in biology
  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