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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: bass · field · drill · sharp · ball · tube · bowl · pitch

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — for sport
  8. tube — the underground
  9. drill — a practice
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pitch — completely
  15. ball — a great time
  16. drill — army training
  17. tube — a container
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bass — low music
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bass — the fish
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. sharp — with an edge

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