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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: pitch · stick · field · saw · wax · bass · pop · chip

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bass — the fish
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — to visit
  8. field — farmland
  9. chip — for betting
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. chip — to eat
  12. pitch — completely
  13. wax — to grow
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bass — low music
  20. field — for sport
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. field — a subject
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. pop — 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