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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 120 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 · swing · object · wake · arm · can · rash

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bass — low music
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bass — the fish
  6. rash — hasty
  7. swing — music
  8. can — a tin
  9. rash — a series
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. object — to protest
  14. can — a tin
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. object — a thing
  19. swing — in golf
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. swing — to play on
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. object — an aim
  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