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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: band · wave · present · sharp · safe · hand · pitch · bay

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. present — there
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. pitch — completely
  9. hand — help
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. band — a music group
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. present — the time now
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. present — a gift
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. hand — in cards
  23. sharp — clever
  24. wave — with your hand

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