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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: pitch · sharp · racket · bay · tube · bass · pitcher · leaves

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. tube — the underground
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. tube — a container
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bass — low music
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. sharp — clever
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bass — the fish
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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