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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 116 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: game · pitcher · bass · deal · pitch · snap · pit · cap

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — low music
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. game — wild animals
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. game — a match
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. pitch — completely
  19. cap — a hat
  20. deal — to handle
  21. cap — a lid
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. cap — of ice
  24. pitcher — a jug

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