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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: pass · wound · pitch · content · craft · can · ball · bat

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bat — the animal
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wound — an injury
  9. craft — a skill
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. can — a tin
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. content — the amount
  16. craft — boats
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pass — a permit
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. ball — a dance
  24. content — happy

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