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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. object — an aim
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. pitch — completely
  5. prune — to trim
  6. band — a music group
  7. rest — a break
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. rest — what's left
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. toast — bread
  16. file — a document
  17. band — a ring
  18. file — a tool
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. object — a thing
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. file — a line of people
  23. rest — what's left
  24. object — to protest

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