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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bank — for money
  3. pitch — completely
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. craft — boats
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mark — a trace
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bank — of a river
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. mark — a grade
  13. file — a line of people
  14. band — a ring
  15. file — a document
  16. file — a tool
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bank — for money
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. band — a music group
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — on the skin

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