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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · bass · rule · clip · last · firm · content · fine

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — a law
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — completely
  6. content — happy
  7. last — finally
  8. clip — a video
  9. clip — to cut
  10. last — final
  11. clip — for paper
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. firm — decided
  16. fine — all right
  17. last — to go on
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bass — the fish
  20. firm — a company
  21. rule — government
  22. fine — high quality
  23. content — the amount
  24. firm — steady

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