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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: stick · band · hide · rash · pitch · ball · capital · ground

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — money
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. ball — a great time
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. capital — a city
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — crushed
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a music group
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. ball — a dance
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pitch — completely

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