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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 116 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bass — low music
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bank — for money
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. stand — to bear
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. cell — in biology
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bank — for money
  20. bass — the fish
  21. pitch — completely
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — a phone
  24. mouse — the animal

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