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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 116 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 · wound · bulb · cap · hide · row · band · pitch

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. row — a line
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. mark — a grade
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. cap — a lid
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pitch — completely
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. row — to paddle
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bulb — for light
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — of ice
  24. wound — an injury

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