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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: squash · band · net · pitch · sharp · pound · pass · temple

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. net — in sport
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a ring
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. net — after costs
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. net — for catching
  14. squash — to crush
  15. sharp — clever
  16. squash — the sport
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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