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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: snap · root · racket · date · scale · bound · pitch · band

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. root — of a word
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — in music
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. band — a ring
  10. date — the fruit
  11. root — the cause
  12. bound — tied together
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bound — certain
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — completely
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. root — of a plant
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bound — obliged
  22. band — a music group
  23. scale — size or range
  24. snap — to click

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