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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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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: wave · pitch · face · deal · race · ball · current · band

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — the arms race
  8. current — happening now
  9. face — to point toward
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. deal — to handle
  14. band — a ring
  15. race — humankind
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. current — electric
  18. face — part of the head
  19. current — of water
  20. face — to confront
  21. ball — a great time
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. band — a music group
  24. ball — a dance

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