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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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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: craft · pitch · chair · pit · club · fall · roll · bowl

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. chair — a leader
  3. roll — a cake
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — a group
  7. fall — to drop
  8. roll — a list
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. club — for dancing
  15. craft — boats
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. fall — the season
  20. pitch — completely
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. craft — a skill

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