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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: stick · game · snap · land · pitch · bass · racket · bowl

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. game — a match
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. snap — to click
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. land — a country
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bass — the fish
  20. land — ground
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. game — wild animals
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. racket — for tennis

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