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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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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bear — the animal
  4. net — after costs
  5. bank — for money
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. row — a line
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. can — a tin
  11. net — for catching
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — the tool
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. net — in sport
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. can — a tin
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bank — for money
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bank — of a river
  24. can — to be able to

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