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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: pitch · present · bowl · straw · current · land · bass · charge

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — low music
  5. current — happening now
  6. land — ground
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. current — electric
  9. current — of water
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. charge — electricity
  13. present — there
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. land — to come down
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — in control
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. pitch — completely
  22. land — a country
  23. present — a gift
  24. bowl — a dish

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