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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: season · ruler · band · date · wound · pound · fine · pitch

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. date — the fruit
  4. season — in sport
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pound — a weight
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fine — high quality
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pitch — completely
  12. wound — an injury
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. band — a ring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. band — a music group
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. fine — all right
  21. season — of the year
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. band — a rubber band

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