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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 120 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: bat · ball · pitch · board · pitcher · bass · track · mouse

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. ball — a dance
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bass — the fish
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. ball — a great time
  12. track — a song
  13. bass — low music
  14. bat — the animal
  15. board — to get on
  16. track — a path
  17. board — a committee
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — completely
  24. mouse — 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