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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bay · bat · pitch · bass · cabinet · game · pop · root

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. bat — in an idiom
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bat — the animal
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. root — the cause
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. pop — music
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bass — low music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pop — soda
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. root — of a word
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pop — to visit
  20. root — of a plant
  21. game — a match
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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