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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: pitcher · band · can · scale · pitch · rock · court · bound

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. rock — a stone
  3. band — a music group
  4. can — a tin
  5. court — for sport
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. band — a ring
  10. bound — certain
  11. can — to be able to
  12. scale — size or range
  13. court — of law
  14. can — a tin
  15. court — of a king
  16. bound — obliged
  17. rock — music
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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