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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: season · spell · file · pitch · chest · bass · ball · stand

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. spell — a short time
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. file — a document
  7. ball — a dance
  8. chest — of your body
  9. season — of the year
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. chest — a box
  13. file — a tool
  14. season — in sport
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. spell — letters
  22. bass — low music
  23. spell — magic
  24. chest — of your 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