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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: last · wave · stock · safe · pitch · bass · chest · roll

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. chest — of your body
  3. stock — shares
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — final
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — a box
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. stock — goods
  15. pitch — completely
  16. roll — a list
  17. roll — a cake
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bass — the fish
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bass — low music

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