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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 · ball · arm · hand · ruler · band · content · pass

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a ring
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. ball — a dance
  9. hand — help
  10. content — happy
  11. band — a music group
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. content — the amount
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. hand — in cards
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pitch — completely

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