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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 120 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: mark · sharp · foot · fine · band · clip · pitch · firm

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. clip — for paper
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. sharp — clever
  5. fine — all right
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. pitch — completely
  8. band — a ring
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a grade
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. foot — a measure
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — decided
  16. fine — high quality
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. mark — a trace
  19. band — a music group
  20. clip — a video
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. firm — a company
  23. clip — to cut
  24. sharp — with an edge

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