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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 116 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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — completely
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pit — in a race
  8. ball — a dance
  9. swing — in golf
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. swing — music
  16. can — a tin
  17. swing — to play on
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. ball — a great time
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bowl — to roll

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