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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 120 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: sharp · band · fine · pitch · bowl · cabinet · can · row

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. band — a ring
  3. fine — all right
  4. band — a music group
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. row — a line
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. can — a tin
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. sharp — clever
  17. fine — high quality
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. pitch — completely
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fine — a penalty

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