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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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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 · racket · object · pitch · bound · bat · deal · branch

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. object — a thing
  3. pitch — completely
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. branch — a division
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bound — certain
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. object — to protest
  11. bound — tied together
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. object — an aim
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bound — obliged
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bowl — a dish

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