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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: mug · board · bass · pound · kid · rash · fine · pitch

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bass — low music
  4. mug — a cup
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — child
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — high quality
  11. board — a committee
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. rash — a series
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. rash — hasty
  21. mug — a face
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. kid — to tease

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