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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: spell · club · bowl · can · pitch · toast · shower · bat

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. club — for golf
  5. bat — the animal
  6. shower — rain
  7. spell — a short time
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. spell — magic
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. can — a tin
  14. pitch — completely
  15. club — for dancing
  16. shower — to wash
  17. spell — letters
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. club — a group
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. toast — bread

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