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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 · lean · net · pitch · pop · hide · pass · sharp

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. band — a music group
  5. net — for catching
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. net — in sport
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pop — music
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. net — after costs
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pitch — completely
  22. band — a ring
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pop — soda

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