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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bank — for money
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. staff — employees
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. club — for dancing
  7. staff — a stick
  8. rest — what's left
  9. club — a group
  10. rest — a break
  11. tear — from crying
  12. snap — to click
  13. net — for catching
  14. bank — for money
  15. net — after costs
  16. staff — employees
  17. club — for golf
  18. tear — to rip
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bank — of a river
  23. tear — from crying
  24. pitch — completely

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