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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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: snap · club · pitch · stick · bay · bowl

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. 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. snap — to click
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. club — a group
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — for golf
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. 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