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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · calf · pit · pitch · deal · object · pop · mug

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. pop — soda
  3. pit — a hole
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. object — to protest
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. ball — a dance
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. mug — a face
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pop — music
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. mug — a cup
  18. deal — to handle
  19. object — a thing
  20. object — an aim
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. mug — to rob
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pop — to visit

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