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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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Word bank
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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 · bear · band · pitcher · temple · foot · rule · bass

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bass — the fish
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. rule — a law
  14. bass — low music
  15. rule — government
  16. band — a ring
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. band — a music group
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. foot — a measure

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