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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: mate · chair · pitch · bass · present · foot · dip · wound

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. present — a gift
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. dip — to sink
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. pitch — completely
  9. present — the time now
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. mate — a friend
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. foot — a measure
  14. chair — a leader
  15. present — there
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. mate — to breed
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. mate — a partner
  22. wound — an injury
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bass — low music

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