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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.

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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 · bass · present · plane · straw · pound · fine · pitch

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. pound — a weight
  5. present — a gift
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. present — the time now
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. fine — all right
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bass — the fish
  14. present — there
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. fine — high quality
  19. plane — a tool
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bass — low music
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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