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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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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: hide · present · band · rest · row · safe · pitch · swing

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — completely
  3. rest — what's left
  4. swing — in golf
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. present — a gift
  7. band — a music group
  8. present — the time now
  9. rest — a break
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. swing — music
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. row — a line
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — to paddle
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. swing — to play on
  23. present — there
  24. band — a ring

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