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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's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. rest — a break
  5. pitch — completely
  6. fall — to drop
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. rock — music
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. content — happy
  12. rest — what's left
  13. content — the amount
  14. net — after costs
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. net — in sport
  17. fall — the season
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rest — what's left
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — a tool
  23. fall — to drop
  24. net — for catching

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