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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 124 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · rest · bass · mark · mouse · fall · scale · pitch

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bass — low music
  3. scale — in music
  4. rest — a break
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bear — the animal
  11. scale — size or range
  12. rest — what's left
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. fall — the season
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. rest — what's left

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