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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 124 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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. sharp — clever
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. saw — the tool
  7. net — after costs
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pitch — completely
  11. chest — a box
  12. track — to keep track
  13. chest — of your body
  14. track — a song
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — in golf
  19. track — a path
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pass — a permit
  23. swing — music
  24. chest — of your body

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