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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
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: pitcher · game · cell · tube · track · bowl · bay · scale

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. tube — a container
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cell — in biology
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. scale — size or range
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. track — a song
  14. cell — a phone
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. track — a path
  18. game — a match
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. scale — in music
  23. tube — the underground
  24. game — a kind of play

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