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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: bay · plane · pitch · hand · mug · cold · bowl · bass

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. mug — a cup
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. pitch — completely
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bass — low music
  18. cold — an illness
  19. hand — help
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. cold — not warm
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. mug — a face

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