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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: rash · pitch · bass · season · pit · trunk · mark · kid

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. rash — hasty
  3. season — of the year
  4. pit — a hole
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bass — low music
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. pit — in a race
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. kid — to tease
  15. rash — a series
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bass — the fish
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. kid — child
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. season — in sport
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. pitch — a sports field

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