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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 120 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: bass · stem · drill · kick · pitch · craft · squash · mark

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bass — the fish
  7. drill — a practice
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — completely
  10. craft — boats
  11. kick — in football
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. stem — to come from
  14. craft — a skill
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. squash — to crush
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. drill — the tool
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — a trace
  22. drill — army training
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bass — low music

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