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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: can · mouse · last · pitch · land · bass · branch · bear

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — a division
  4. last — final
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. can — a tin
  8. land — to come down
  9. bear — the animal
  10. can — a tin
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — the fish
  13. land — ground
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. land — a country
  17. bear — the animal
  18. last — to go on
  19. pitch — completely
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. can — to be able to
  24. last — finally

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