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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: band · kid · fine · row · pitcher · rest · rash · bat

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — to paddle
  4. kid — to tease
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — all right
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rash — a series
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. rest — a break
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. row — a line
  16. bat — the animal
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. kid — child
  20. fine — high quality
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a music group
  24. rash — hasty

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