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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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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: toast · band · bound · wax · scale · pitch · wind · pass

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bound — certain
  8. pass — a permit
  9. wind — moving air
  10. band — a music group
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — in music
  14. band — a ring
  15. bound — tied together
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bound — obliged
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. pitch — completely

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