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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.

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: band · hand · rock · safe · date · racket · pitch · coach

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. band — a ring
  8. date — the fruit
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. hand — help
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. rock — music
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rock — a stone
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. hand — in cards
  24. safe — out of danger

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