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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. march — the month
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the fish
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. march — the month
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. can — a tin
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — the underground
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. march — music
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. can — to be able to
  20. prune — to trim
  21. can — a tin
  22. tube — a container
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a round shape

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