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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: bass · charge · firm · can · pound · prune · season · pitch

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — decided
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. can — a tin
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. season — of the year
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. can — a tin
  10. firm — steady
  11. charge — a price
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bass — the fish
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bass — low music
  17. charge — in control
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. charge — electricity
  20. prune — to trim
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. prune — to trim
  24. season — to add flavour

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