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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 116 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: band · content · board · deal · lie · pitch · staff · pound

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. content — happy
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. content — the amount
  8. staff — employees
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. pound — a weight
  11. band — a ring
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. deal — to handle
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. band — a music group
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pitch — completely
  19. staff — employees
  20. board — a committee
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. staff — a stick
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — to get on

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