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

Word bank: jam · wave · pitch · racket · band · toast

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. band — a ring
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. toast — bread
  8. band — a music group
  9. pitch — completely
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — a sudden rise

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