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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 · bass · sharp · firm · can · roll · spell · last

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. last — finally
  3. firm — steady
  4. can — a tin
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. spell — letters
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — a cake
  10. last — final
  11. can — to be able to
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. firm — decided
  14. pitch — completely
  15. can — a tin
  16. firm — a company
  17. spell — a short time
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. spell — magic
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. last — to go on
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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