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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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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: season · mug · game · bank · pitch · ground · nail · bass

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  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. season — of the year
  2. bank — for money
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. season — in sport
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. ground — the earth
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bass — low music
  12. ground — a position
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bass — the fish
  16. game — a match
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bank — for money
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. mug — to rob
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. mug — a face
  23. pitch — completely
  24. mug — a cup

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