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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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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: date · pitcher · present · pit · club · racket · net · bass

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. date — the fruit
  3. pit — in a race
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. net — in sport
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. present — there
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. club — for golf
  16. pit — a hole
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bass — the fish
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — the time now
  21. club — a group
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. date — on the calendar

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