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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: board · row · lie · pitch · dip · bass · hide · pop

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. row — a line
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. board — a committee
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pop — to visit
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pop — soda
  11. dip — to sink
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. row — to paddle
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. board — to get on
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bass — low music
  23. pop — music
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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