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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. net — after costs
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. firm — decided
  6. bass — the fish
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. dip — to sink
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. wound — an injury
  14. ball — a great time
  15. net — in sport
  16. firm — a company
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bass — low music
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. pitch — completely
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. net — for catching
  24. ball — a dance

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