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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: ball · pitch · drill · bowl · pass · date · lie · stem

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. drill — the tool
  13. stem — to come from
  14. drill — army training
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. ball — a great time
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. drill — a practice
  19. pitch — completely
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. pass — a permit
  24. stem — a stem cell

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