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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: safe · pitch · cue · spell · bass · cell · ground · branch

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. ground — a position
  5. cell — a phone
  6. spell — a short time
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bass — the fish
  10. branch — a division
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. ground — the earth
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pitch — completely
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cue — a signal
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bass — low music
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — letters

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