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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: band · bay · perch · row · pitch · fan · deal · temple

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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. fan — to cool the air
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. deal — to handle
  5. band — a music group
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. perch — the fish
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pitch — completely
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. row — to paddle
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. band — a ring
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. row — a line
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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