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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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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: club · pop · pitcher · bay · can · ground · spell · ball

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. spell — magic
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — crushed
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. ball — a great time
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pop — music
  13. club — a group
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. spell — letters
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. can — a tin
  19. club — for golf
  20. pop — soda
  21. ground — the earth
  22. can — a tin
  23. club — for dancing
  24. ball — a dance

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