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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bat · pitch · saw · firm · bay · cabinet · mug · bass

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  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. mug — to rob
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — a company
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. mug — a face
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bass — low music
  14. pitch — completely
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bass — the fish
  19. firm — decided
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bass — the instrument
  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