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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.

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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: object · row · bass · straw · club · pop · pitch · ball

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — soda
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — to protest
  8. bass — the fish
  9. ball — a great time
  10. row — a line
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bass — low music
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. club — for dancing
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. row — to paddle
  19. pop — music
  20. ball — a dance
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. object — a thing
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — a group

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