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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · safe · band · mine · squash · plane · bass · ball

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bass — the fish
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the sport
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. pitch — completely
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mine — for digging
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. ball — a great time
  15. band — a ring
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. ball — a dance
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. band — a music group
  24. plane — a tool

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