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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: ball · field · bass · plane · bay · cell · pitch · pound

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  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. pound — to hit hard
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bass — the fish
  5. field — a subject
  6. cell — in biology
  7. field — farmland
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. ball — a dance
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. plane — a tool
  17. ball — a great time
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bass — low music
  22. pitch — completely
  23. field — for sport
  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