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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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468
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: present · swing · bay · pitcher · mate · stand · sharp · band

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. present — a gift
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. sharp — clever
  8. present — there
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. band — a ring
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. swing — music
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mate — a partner
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. mate — to breed
  17. present — the time now
  18. swing — in golf
  19. band — a music group
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. swing — to play on
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. mate — a friend

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