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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.

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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: ball · game · can · pitch · ground · pitcher · net · key

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. ground — the earth
  3. pitch — completely
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a great time
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. key — in music
  8. game — wild animals
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. net — for catching
  11. ground — crushed
  12. key — the most important part
  13. ball — a dance
  14. game — a match
  15. can — to be able to
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — after costs
  18. can — a tin
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. key — for a lock
  21. ground — a position
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. can — a tin

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