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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. net — in sport
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. net — after costs
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. net — for catching
  9. saw — the tool
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. rock — music
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pitch — completely
  16. snap — to click
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pitch — a sports field

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