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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.

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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: bowl · field · ball · bass · kid · pitch · pit · rock

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bass — the fish
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. ball — a great time
  7. pit — a hole
  8. field — for sport
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. kid — to tease
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bass — low music
  13. kid — child
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pitch — completely
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. field — a subject
  23. rock — music
  24. ball — a round shape

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