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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 116 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: track · bay · bear · pitch · deal · band · bulb · bat

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. track — a song
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. band — a ring
  9. deal — to handle
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a music group
  12. bat — the animal
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bulb — for light
  18. track — a path
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bulb — for light

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