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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: pound · pitcher · wake · cold · arm · pop · bass · firm

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. cold — not warm
  3. firm — decided
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. pop — soda
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. firm — steady
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. cold — an illness
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bass — low music
  22. firm — a company
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. arm — part of the body

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