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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: ball · bass · pitch · cap · mouse · bank · straw · lean

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bank — for money
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bass — the fish
  8. lean — thin
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bank — for money
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a dance
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. lean — to bend
  15. cap — a hat
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bass — low music
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. cap — of ice
  23. pitch — completely
  24. mouse — the animal

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