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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: wake · bass · chair · pitch · sharp · calf · stand · cue

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. cue — for pool
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. wake — a trail
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. cue — a signal
  13. sharp — clever
  14. cue — a hint
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bass — the fish
  22. chair — a leader
  23. pitch — completely
  24. calf — a young animal

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