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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 120 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: chip · pound · bass · stand · pitch · season · deal · mouse

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. season — of the year
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pound — a weight
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bass — low music
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. chip — to eat
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — completely
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. season — in sport

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