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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 120 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: squash · bear · fine · wind · bass · pitch · net · staff

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fine — all right
  4. net — after costs
  5. bass — low music
  6. wind — moving air
  7. staff — employees
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. net — for catching
  10. squash — to crush
  11. staff — a stick
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. fine — high quality
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bear — the animal
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — the sport
  19. net — in sport
  20. staff — employees
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — the fish

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