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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: pitch · bank · march · firm · temple · band

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. band — a music group
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. firm — steady
  5. pitch — completely
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. march — the month
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bank — for money
  11. firm — a company
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. firm — decided
  15. band — a ring
  16. bank — of a river
  17. march — music
  18. bank — for money

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