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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. rest — a break
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bass — low music
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. last — to go on
  16. pitch — completely
  17. last — finally
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bark — to shout
  22. last — final
  23. rest — what's left
  24. safe — out of danger

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