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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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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 · pitch · bat · wind · kick · mate · bowl · plane

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mate — to breed
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. kick — in football
  7. bat — the animal
  8. mate — a partner
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. mate — a friend
  18. wind — moving air
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. plane — a tool

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