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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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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: bat · cell · pitch · bowl · pit · wound · bear · squash

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bat — the animal
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — a phone
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. squash — the sport

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