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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: present · suit · band · club · nail · cold · pitch · craft

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. pitch — completely
  3. club — for dancing
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. band — a music group
  6. present — a gift
  7. craft — boats
  8. club — for golf
  9. band — a ring
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. suit — clothes
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. craft — a skill
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — there
  18. cold — not warm
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. club — a group
  23. suit — to fit
  24. cold — an illness

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