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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: scale · ball · object · game · pitch · bass · stem · bat

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. game — a match
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. ball — a great time
  11. pitch — completely
  12. scale — in music
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bass — low music
  15. stem — to come from
  16. object — an aim
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bass — the fish
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — a thing
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bat — the animal

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