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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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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: pass · season · bass · wound · cabinet · pitch · net · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — in sport
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. season — of the year
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the fish
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. net — after costs
  17. pass — a permit
  18. foot — a measure
  19. net — for catching
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. net — in sport
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pitch — completely

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