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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: racket · rest · tear · band · pitch · nail · bass · pit

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bass — low music
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pit — a hole
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rest — a break
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bass — the fish
  12. band — a music group
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — to rip
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. rest — what's left
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. band — a ring
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pit — in a race

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