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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: bay · pound · safe · kid · band · temple · coach · pitch

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. band — a ring
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pitch — completely
  7. kid — child
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. band — a music group
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. kid — to tease
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pound — for dogs

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