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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 116 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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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: cell · nail · bay · pitch · file · ground · bass · root

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bass — low music
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. pitch — completely
  5. cell — in biology
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. file — a line of people
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. file — a document
  10. bass — the fish
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. ground — crushed
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. file — a tool
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. ground — a position
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — the cause

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