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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 120 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: current · pitch · bat · ball · pop · object · mark · game

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pop — to visit
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pop — music
  8. mark — a grade
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bat — the animal
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. pop — soda
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. game — wild animals
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. object — to protest
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — electric
  22. game — a match
  23. object — a thing
  24. ball — a dance

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