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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: present · bay · pitch · bound · wind · bass · branch · pop

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pop — music
  4. present — there
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. pop — soda
  7. bass — low music
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bound — tied together
  10. present — a gift
  11. bound — obliged
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. present — the time now
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. branch — a division
  16. bound — certain
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pitch — completely

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