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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 116 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: pitcher · bass · safe · press · kid · racket · bat · prune

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bass — the fish
  5. press — a publisher
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — child
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bat — the animal
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. press — to push
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bass — low music
  24. prune — to trim

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