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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: deal · ball · roll · club · pitch · can · track · kick

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. ball — a great time
  3. can — to be able to
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. track — to keep track
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. deal — to handle
  9. club — a group
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. ball — a dance
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — completely
  14. track — a song
  15. roll — a cake
  16. track — a path
  17. can — a tin
  18. kick — in football
  19. club — for golf
  20. can — a tin
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. club — for dancing
  23. roll — a list
  24. deal — a big deal

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