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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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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 · wake · rule · bore · bank · pitch · tube · hand

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bass — low music
  3. bank — for money
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bass — the fish
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bore — to drill
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. hand — help
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bore — to tire
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. rule — a law
  16. bank — for money
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. rule — government
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. tube — a container
  21. wake — a trail
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bank — of a river

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