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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: content · rock · key · pitch · roll · trunk · season · bass

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — completely
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bass — the fish
  6. rock — a stone
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — in music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. content — happy
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. bass — low music
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — in sport
  17. key — the most important part
  18. content — the amount
  19. rock — music
  20. roll — a list
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. roll — a cake
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a tree

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