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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 · dip · pit · bat · mouse · fall · net · track

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. track — a path
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. track — to keep track
  10. fall — to drop
  11. track — a song
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — for catching
  17. bat — the animal
  18. net — after costs
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to sink
  22. fall — the season
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fall — to drop

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