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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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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: bound · mark · band · racket · pitch · wave · toast · kid

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. band — a ring
  3. kid — child
  4. bound — certain
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. pitch — completely
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bound — obliged
  9. band — a music group
  10. bound — tied together
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. mark — a trace
  20. kid — to tease
  21. toast — bread
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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