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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: jam · pitch · ball · mate · pitcher · present · lash · bat

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. mate — a partner
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mate — a friend
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. present — there
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. mate — to breed
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. present — a gift
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pitch — completely
  17. ball — a dance
  18. present — the time now
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bat — for baseball

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