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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: pitch · racket · bay · bat · season · bass · pitcher · board

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. season — of the year
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. board — to get on
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bass — low music
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bat — the animal
  22. season — in sport
  23. board — a committee
  24. racket — for tennis

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