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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: bowl · pitch · bass · fan · pound · arm · lean · squash

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. lean — thin
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pitch — completely
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. lean — to bend
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bass — the fish
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bass — low music
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. arm — a part of something

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