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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.

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: toast · bass · court · straw · ball · saw · pitch · tube

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. ball — a great time
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bass — low music
  7. tube — the underground
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bass — the fish
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. court — for sport
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. tube — a container
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. toast — bread
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — of law

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