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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.

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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: tear · trunk · pitch · file · row · safe · object · bass

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. file — a tool
  4. bass — the fish
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. object — an aim
  7. file — a line of people
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. file — a document
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. row — to paddle
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. row — a line
  18. pitch — completely
  19. tear — from crying
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. object — to protest
  22. tear — to rip
  23. object — a thing
  24. bass — low music

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