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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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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: deal · pit · coach · perch · stick · pitch · band · race

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. perch — the fish
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. band — a music group
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. pitch — completely
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. deal — to handle
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — a contest
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. race — humankind
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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