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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
468
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 · net · chair · bark · toast · game · fan · bass

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. game — a match
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. game — wild animals
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. net — after costs
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. toast — bread
  10. net — in sport
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bark — to shout
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bass — low music
  23. chair — a leader
  24. net — for catching

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