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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: can · band · squash · deal · land · bear · rest · pitch

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. land — a country
  3. can — a tin
  4. land — ground
  5. rest — what's left
  6. squash — to crush
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. can — to be able to
  10. deal — to handle
  11. band — a music group
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bear — the animal
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. land — to come down
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. band — a ring
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. squash — the sport
  23. rest — what's left
  24. can — a tin

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