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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bass — low music
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mate — to breed
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. mug — a face
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bass — the fish
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a dish

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