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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 116 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: firm · staff · track · pitch · chair · band · pitcher · racket

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. firm — a company
  4. track — a song
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. staff — a stick
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. band — a ring
  9. track — a path
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. staff — employees
  12. chair — a leader
  13. pitch — completely
  14. firm — steady
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. firm — decided
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. track — to keep track
  20. staff — employees
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. pitcher — a jug

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