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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: leaves · tear · pitch · deal · rash · land · bass · scale

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — the fish
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. land — to come down
  9. tear — from crying
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. tear — to rip
  13. land — ground
  14. scale — size or range
  15. land — a country
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bass — low music
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pitch — completely
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — hasty
  24. deal — an agreement

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