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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: temple · pitch · face · saw · net · can · band · firm

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. can — a tin
  4. firm — a company
  5. band — a ring
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pitch — completely
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. firm — decided
  10. net — after costs
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. net — in sport
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — to point toward
  16. band — a music group
  17. saw — the tool
  18. net — for catching
  19. face — part of the head
  20. can — a tin
  21. firm — steady
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. can — to be able to

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