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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ground · coach · wake · pitch · saw · present · band · foot

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. pitch — completely
  3. foot — a measure
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. ground — crushed
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. wake — a trail
  10. present — a gift
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. saw — the tool
  16. ground — a position
  17. present — the time now
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. present — there
  24. ground — the earth

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