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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: bear · bat · bay · ball · swing · pitch · can · game

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. swing — music
  3. bear — the animal
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. ball — a dance
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. pitch — completely
  12. can — a tin
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. ball — a great time
  15. game — a match
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. game — wild animals
  18. can — a tin
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bear — the animal
  24. swing — to play on

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