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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pitch · bass · foot · land · fall · pop · arm · mouse

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bass — low music
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — to visit
  8. land — to come down
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. land — a country
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. fall — to drop
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bass — the fish
  16. fall — the season
  17. pitch — completely
  18. land — ground
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. mouse — for a computer

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