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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: ball · pitcher · sharp · jam · present · bark · pitch · roll

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. present — the time now
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. roll — a list
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bark — to shout
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. sharp — clever
  15. present — a gift
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. ball — a great time
  20. present — there
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. roll — a cake
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bark — of a tree

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