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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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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: fork · last · wind · pass · bass · track · pitch · firm

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. fork — in a road
  3. last — to go on
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. pitch — completely
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. track — to keep track
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. last — finally
  12. firm — steady
  13. track — a song
  14. track — a path
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — a company
  17. last — final
  18. bass — low music
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bass — the fish
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. fork — to eat with

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