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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: pitch · safe · bass · wind · straw · content · cabinet · hide

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. pitch — completely
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. content — happy
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. wind — moving air
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. content — the amount
  24. bass — low music

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