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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.

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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: pitch · wound · bass · ground · bank · mark · mate · cell

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bass — the fish
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bank — of a river
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. mate — to breed
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mate — a partner
  10. ground — crushed
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. mark — a trace
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bass — low music
  16. bank — for money
  17. ground — a position
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. pitch — completely
  21. cell — a phone
  22. bank — for money
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bass — the instrument

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