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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: roll · degree · pop · drill · bass · pitch · hide · content

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. roll — a cake
  3. degree — temperature
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bass — the fish
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. content — the amount
  9. drill — army training
  10. content — happy
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. pop — soda
  13. drill — a practice
  14. pop — to visit
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a list
  18. degree — an amount
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. degree — from a university
  21. pop — music
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bass — low music
  24. hide — to keep secret

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