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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: dip · pitch · band · bear · rule · fan · deal · kid

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a music group
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rule — a law
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rule — government
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pitch — completely
  13. kid — child
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. kid — to tease
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. dip — to sink
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. fan — a supporter

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