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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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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: snap · pitch · bowl · cell · toast · craft · scale · roll

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — in biology
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. scale — in music
  11. cell — a phone
  12. toast — bread
  13. roll — a cake
  14. craft — boats
  15. snap — to click
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. craft — a skill
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. scale — size or range
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sports field

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