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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
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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: can · field · sharp · pitch · wave · bowl · bat · leaves

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. field — for sport
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. field — farmland
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. field — a subject
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pitch — completely
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bat — the animal
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — exactly

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