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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: mark · lean · pitch · kick · bass · bear · wind · rash

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. mark — a trace
  4. rash — a series
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bass — the fish
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. kick — in football
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pitch — completely
  23. lean — thin
  24. mark — a grade

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