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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  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. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — the fish
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bass — low music
  6. season — in sport
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. file — a line of people
  9. cell — a phone
  10. suit — clothes
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a tool
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. suit — to fit
  15. pitch — completely
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. suit — in cards
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — to bear
  20. prune — to trim
  21. season — of the year
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cell — in a prison
  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