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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: sharp · current · pitch · safe · arm · bass · file · prune

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. current — electric
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bass — the fish
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — completely
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a line of people
  12. current — happening now
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. current — of water
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bass — low music
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. file — a tool
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — clever

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