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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bank — for money
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. net — in sport
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bank — for money
  11. fork — in a road
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bank — of a river
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pitch — completely
  19. net — after costs
  20. plane — a tool
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. ball — a great time
  23. net — for catching
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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