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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 116 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 · can · band · wind · firm · rest

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. firm — steady
  3. rest — what's left
  4. firm — a company
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. wind — moving air
  8. can — to be able to
  9. band — a ring
  10. can — a tin
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. band — a music group
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rest — a break
  17. can — a tin
  18. firm — decided

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