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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: row · sharp · net · pitch · bass · firm · current · wave

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. firm — decided
  4. current — happening now
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. firm — steady
  9. current — electric
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. current — of water
  13. net — in sport
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — low music
  16. net — for catching
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a line
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. firm — a company
  23. pitch — completely
  24. sharp — clever

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