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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. object — to protest
  3. bass — low music
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. net — for catching
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bass — the fish
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. object — an aim
  11. saw — the tool
  12. net — after costs
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. object — a thing
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. net — in sport

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