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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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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 · pound · bank · bass · band · fine · stand · tear

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. band — a music group
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. fine — all right
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bank — for money
  9. stand — to bear
  10. band — a ring
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bank — of a river
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bank — for money
  15. tear — to rip
  16. pitch — completely
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bass — low music
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. fine — high quality

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