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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. row — to paddle
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. net — after costs
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. net — in sport
  15. row — a line
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. net — for catching
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pass — a permit

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