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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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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. ball — a dance
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pop — music
  8. kick — in football
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — the animal
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. net — after costs
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pit — a hole
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. pop — soda
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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