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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: roll · date · key · current · branch · pitch · bass · kick

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. key — in music
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. key — for a lock
  8. date — the fruit
  9. current — of water
  10. pitch — completely
  11. key — the most important part
  12. current — electric
  13. roll — a cake
  14. bass — low music
  15. current — happening now
  16. branch — a division
  17. bass — the fish
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. roll — a list
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. kick — in football
  24. pitch — a sports field

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