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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: dip · pitcher · can · bore · racket · pitch · hide · bat

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. can — a tin
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. can — a tin
  15. bore — to drill
  16. dip — to sink
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bat — the animal
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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