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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: bass · pitch · season · root · bat · rock · hide · safe

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — in sport
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bat — the animal
  11. pitch — completely
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — of a word
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bass — the fish
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rock — a stone
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. root — the cause
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — music

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