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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — a series
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — a container
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. branch — a division
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to confront
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. net — in sport
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. net — after costs
  20. face — to point toward
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. pitch — completely
  24. tube — the underground

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