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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: mug · track · pitch · pit · dip · bowl · arm · squash

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. squash — to crush
  6. track — a path
  7. pit — in a race
  8. mug — to rob
  9. squash — the sport
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pit — a hole
  12. mug — a cup
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. mug — a face
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. pitch — completely
  20. dip — to sink
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. track — a song

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