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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: staff · sharp · cabinet · bass · chip · bear · pitch · pass

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bass — the fish
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. pass — a permit
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bass — low music
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. staff — employees
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — for betting
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. staff — employees

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