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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: season · rest · toast · fork · bass · track · pitch · chest

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. track — to keep track
  3. rest — a break
  4. season — in sport
  5. toast — bread
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pitch — completely
  12. track — a path
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. season — of the year
  17. rest — what's left
  18. track — a song
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bass — the fish
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. bass — low music
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — a garden tool

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