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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ball — a dance
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. ball — a great time
  8. net — in sport
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. net — after costs
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. deal — to handle
  14. fine — all right
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. fine — high quality
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — completely
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. deal — a big deal

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