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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: suit · bat · pitch · track · chip · bulb · shower · ground

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. track — to keep track
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — a position
  5. shower — to wash
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bulb — for light
  8. ground — the earth
  9. track — a song
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pitch — completely
  12. track — a path
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bat — the animal
  16. suit — to fit
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. shower — rain
  19. suit — clothes
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bat — in an idiom

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