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

Word bank: fork · cell · firm · pass · pitch · bass · perch · mug

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. pass — a permit
  3. firm — a company
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. cell — a phone
  6. pitch — completely
  7. perch — the fish
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bass — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. firm — steady
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bass — low music
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — a face
  19. fork — in a road
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. mug — to rob
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — a sports field

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