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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: sharp · bass · mate · pitch · arm · bowl · deal · spell

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. pitch — completely
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. deal — to handle
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. mate — to breed
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. sharp — clever
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. mate — a partner
  22. spell — letters
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — low music

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