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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 116 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 · saw · wake · mate · racket · pitch · row · lie

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. wake — a trail
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — completely
  5. band — a ring
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. band — a music group
  10. mate — a friend
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. row — to paddle
  13. lie — to recline
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a partner

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