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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. staff — employees
  3. club — a group
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — completely
  8. staff — employees
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mug — a cup
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — ground
  14. net — for catching
  15. mug — a face
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. club — for golf
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. net — after costs
  20. mug — to rob
  21. staff — a stick
  22. land — a country
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. club — for dancing

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