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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.

Make a worksheet

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: ball · pitcher · kid · mug · hand · perch · pit · pitch

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. hand — in cards
  4. mug — to rob
  5. kid — child
  6. perch — the fish
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. ball — a great time
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. hand — help
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pit — a hole
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. mug — a face
  17. pit — in a race
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. kid — to tease
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. ball — a dance

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