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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: present · mine · pitcher · racket · stick · band · wake · pitch

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. present — there
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. band — a music group
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. present — a gift
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. mine — for digging
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. present — the time now
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. band — a ring
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. pitch — a sports field

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