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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
468
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: pitch · bear · bass · hand · band · patient · mouse · coach

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a music group
  5. bass — the fish
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. hand — in cards
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bass — low music
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. hand — help
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bear — the animal
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bear — to put up with

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