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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
468
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: pitch · nail · face · game · stem · bass · band · toast

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. toast — bread
  3. band — a music group
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bass — the fish
  8. stem — to come from
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. band — a ring
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. game — wild animals
  13. face — to confront
  14. bass — low music
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. face — to point toward
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. face — part of the head
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. game — a match

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