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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pop — music
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. pop — soda
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — low music
  12. bank — for money
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bank — for money
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bass — the fish
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. ball — a dance
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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