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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: object · pitch · bat · ground · lie · cap · band · cue

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. band — a music group
  3. ground — a position
  4. cap — a lid
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. band — a ring
  8. object — a thing
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — for pool
  12. ground — the earth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — to protest
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bat — the animal
  22. cap — of ice
  23. lie — to recline
  24. cue — a signal

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