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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. pitch — completely
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bass — low music
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pop — music
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. bass — the fish
  13. club — a group
  14. ground — a position
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. ball — a dance
  17. club — for golf
  18. pop — to visit
  19. ground — the earth
  20. club — for dancing
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. pop — soda
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. wind — moving air

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