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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: fan · bowl · rest · pitch · cold · pit · bass · firm

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pit — in a race
  4. firm — a company
  5. rest — what's left
  6. firm — steady
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bass — the fish
  13. cold — an illness
  14. cold — not warm
  15. rest — a break
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bass — low music
  18. firm — decided
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. fan — to cool the air

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