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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: pitcher · pitch · season · bass · rash · pound · current · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. current — of water
  3. season — of the year
  4. pitch — completely
  5. current — happening now
  6. rash — a series
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bass — low music
  12. season — in sport
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bass — the fish
  17. rash — hasty
  18. current — electric
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bass — the instrument

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