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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: bass · nail · rock · foot · mine · present · pitch · deal

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. present — a gift
  6. rock — a stone
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rock — music
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — low music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — completely
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. foot — a measure
  19. present — the time now
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. present — there
  24. foot — part of the body

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