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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: band · hide · pitch · kid · last · rush · plane · club

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. pitch — completely
  4. last — to go on
  5. kid — child
  6. club — a group
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. band — a ring
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. last — final
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. plane — a tool
  15. club — for dancing
  16. band — a music group
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. last — finally
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. club — for golf
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. kid — to tease

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