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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bank · present · bass · pit · shower · fine · staff

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. present — there
  3. present — a gift
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bass — low music
  6. fine — all right
  7. present — the time now
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. staff — employees
  13. pitch — completely
  14. staff — employees
  15. pit — in a race
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — high quality
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — to wash

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