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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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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 · bay · band · bear · trunk · bass · club · drill

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. drill — a practice
  8. club — for golf
  9. band — a ring
  10. bass — the fish
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. club — a group
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. band — a music group
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — the tool
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bass — low music
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. club — for dancing
  24. trunk — of a tree

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