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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
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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: pitch · bat · drill · mug · can · pop · bass · scale

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. drill — army training
  3. pop — to visit
  4. can — a tin
  5. bass — low music
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pop — music
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bass — the fish
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. mug — to rob
  13. can — a tin
  14. pop — soda
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — in music
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. drill — a practice
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bat — the animal
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. pitch — completely
  24. mug — a cup

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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