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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: pop · snap · bowl · staff · pitch · tube · season · object

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. object — to protest
  3. pop — to visit
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. pop — soda
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. object — an aim
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. snap — to click
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. pitch — completely
  17. tube — a container
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. object — a thing
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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