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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.

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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 · bowl · pitch · content · mark · hide · file · mouse

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. content — the amount
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. file — a line of people
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. file — a tool
  14. bass — the fish
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. content — happy
  20. bass — low music
  21. file — a document
  22. pitch — completely
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mouse — the animal

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