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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
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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: current · pitch · hide · band · plane · kick · sharp · chair

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. chair — a leader
  3. kick — in football
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. plane — a tool
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. current — electric
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. current — happening now
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a ring
  14. pitch — completely
  15. current — of water
  16. sharp — clever
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. kick — a thrill

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