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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: bass · prune · fine · pass · pitch · wound · deal · season

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bass — low music
  8. fine — all right
  9. bass — the fish
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. wound — an injury
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. fine — high quality
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. prune — to trim
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pass — a permit
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. pitch — completely
  24. season — of the year

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