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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: rash · ball · pitch · plane · board · capital · bass · bound

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. capital — money
  3. board — a committee
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bound — certain
  6. capital — a city
  7. pitch — completely
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. plane — a tool
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bass — low music
  16. bound — obliged
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — hasty
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bound — tied together
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bass — the fish

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