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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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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: band · stand · present · pitch · can · game · lie · pop

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pop — music
  4. pitch — completely
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. stand — to bear
  8. can — a tin
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. pop — soda
  11. can — to be able to
  12. game — a match
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. game — wild animals
  15. band — a music group
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — a gift
  21. band — a ring
  22. present — there
  23. can — a tin
  24. pop — to visit

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