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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: cell · foot · bass · racket · object · pitch · hide · mark

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bass — low music
  3. cell — a phone
  4. object — a thing
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. mark — a grade
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. object — an aim
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bass — the fish
  18. foot — a measure
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. object — to protest
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mark — a trace
  24. cell — in biology

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