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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 120 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: racket · band · fine · bowl · stem · pitch · bay · present

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. band — a ring
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. present — the time now
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. fine — high quality
  14. band — a music group
  15. present — a gift
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. pitch — completely
  19. present — there
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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