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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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: pitch · jam · hide · spring · date · band · chair · face

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. face — to point toward
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a ring
  5. spring — the season
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. band — a music group
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. date — the fruit
  14. face — part of the head
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. spring — a coil
  20. face — to confront
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. spring — of water
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. hide — animal skin

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