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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: present · wake · ball · bank · date · pit · pitch · can

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. pit — in a race
  4. present — a gift
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. ball — a dance
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bank — for money
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. can — to be able to
  14. pitch — completely
  15. wake — a trail
  16. can — a tin
  17. bank — of a river
  18. pit — a hole
  19. can — a tin
  20. present — there
  21. bank — for money
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. present — the time now
  24. date — the fruit

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