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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 120 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: content · trunk · swing · band · pitch · fall · safe · pass

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fall — to drop
  5. content — the amount
  6. fall — the season
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. pass — a permit
  9. band — a ring
  10. swing — in golf
  11. content — happy
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. fall — to drop
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. band — a music group
  24. pitch — a sports field

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