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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
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: spell · chest · rock · pitch · bowl · bass · chip · patient

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. pitch — completely
  3. rock — a stone
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bass — the fish
  10. rock — music
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. spell — letters
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chest — of your body
  23. spell — magic
  24. chip — for betting

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