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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: pitcher · bowl · prune · bat · bulb · stand · land · bass

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bat — the animal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. land — to come down
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bulb — for light
  10. land — a country
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bass — low music
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. land — ground
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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