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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.

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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: date · mouse · bat · bass · pitch · perch · mark · pit

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. mark — a trace
  5. date — the fruit
  6. bass — the fish
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bat — the animal
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. perch — the fish
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bass — low music
  24. mouse — the animal

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