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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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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 · rule · board · bank · mark · key · band · squash

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. squash — to crush
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. key — the most important part
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. board — to get on
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. mark — a trace
  10. pitch — completely
  11. rule — government
  12. key — for a lock
  13. mark — a grade
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. rule — a law
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a ring
  21. key — in music
  22. bank — of a river
  23. squash — the sport
  24. board — a committee

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