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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: chair · wake · pass · hand · present · bear · bass · pitch

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pitch — completely
  3. present — the time now
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bass — low music
  7. present — a gift
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. hand — help
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. wake — a trail
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. chair — a leader
  21. hand — in cards
  22. present — there
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. pitch — a sports field

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