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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.

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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: bowl · tube · dip · stick · bat · charge · bank · pitch

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. dip — to sink
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. charge — in control
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. tube — a container
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. tube — the underground
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bank — for money
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bank — of a river
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bank — for money
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. pitch — a sports field

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