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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: stand · band · plane · saw · can · firm · hand · pitch

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. firm — steady
  3. pitch — completely
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a music group
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. firm — decided
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. saw — the tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. hand — in cards
  15. plane — a tool
  16. can — a tin
  17. firm — a company
  18. hand — help
  19. can — to be able to
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. can — a tin

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