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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: field · roll · stock · pitch · bay · snap · safe · bass

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — low music
  7. roll — a cake
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. field — a subject
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. snap — to click
  15. roll — a list
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. field — for sport
  19. bass — the fish
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — goods
  22. field — farmland
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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