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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.

Make a worksheet

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: date · clip · can · bowl · ground · foot · pitch · swing

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. ground — crushed
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. clip — to cut
  9. swing — music
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. ground — a position
  13. foot — a measure
  14. date — the fruit
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. can — a tin
  17. swing — to play on
  18. clip — a video
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. can — to be able to
  21. ground — the earth
  22. swing — in golf
  23. can — a tin
  24. clip — for paper

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