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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: bowl · spring · bay · mark · ball · pitch · season · kid

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. kid — to tease
  5. mark — a grade
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. ball — a great time
  8. kid — child
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. ball — a dance
  13. spring — the season
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — of water
  20. season — of the year
  21. pitch — completely
  22. season — in sport
  23. mark — a trace
  24. season — to add flavour

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