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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: pitch · straw · bound · bass · board · current · bay · rock

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — to get on
  7. bass — low music
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bound — certain
  11. current — electric
  12. current — happening now
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. board — a committee
  15. rock — music
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. bound — obliged
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bass — the fish
  23. current — of water
  24. bound — tied together

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