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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pitch · firm · last · bass · press · mug · wound · can

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a face
  6. last — final
  7. last — finally
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. bass — the fish
  10. can — to be able to
  11. press — to push
  12. last — to go on
  13. pitch — completely
  14. wound — an injury
  15. can — a tin
  16. mug — a cup
  17. press — newspapers
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. press — a publisher
  20. firm — a company
  21. bass — low music
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  24. can — a tin

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