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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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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 · patient · pass · fall · file · hide · bank · pitch

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. file — a document
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — completely
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bank — for money
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bass — low music
  10. bank — for money
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. fall — the season
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bass — the fish
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. file — a tool
  21. fall — to drop
  22. file — a line of people
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bank — of a river

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